Inside​​           
​      + Solheim Cup: Europe fends off Team USA to hold a two up lead after day 2.  (MGS Pg.)
      + Denny Hamlin outlasts Kyle Larson at Darlington to win the Southern 500 (Below)
​      + B1G Football Players of the Week (B1G/College)
​      + (Motorsports Pg.) U.S. Senior Amateur at Country Club of Detroit Starts Saturday, Includes Five Michigan Golfers (MGS Pg.
       + ​​Ally Challenge: Ernie Els on his 2021 Schwab Cup Season (MGS Pg.)

Korda conundrum: Heralded sisters struggling to find Solheim Cup points

Tony Paul
The Detroit News
Toledo, Ohio — These events, whether it's the Solheim Cup or the Ryder Cup, always carry a pre-tournament narrative. And, too often, the narrative is blown to smithereens.
Take this week at Inverness Club, where it was supposed to be the Korda Show — featuring the sisters Nelly, No. 1 in the world, and Jessica, ranked 18th.
But after Sunday's second day in northwest Ohio, the Kordas have just won win between them, as Team USA trails Team Europe, 9-7, entering Monday's closing session of singles matches. Nelly Korda is 1-2, and Jessica Korda is 0-2. Two years ago at Gleneagles in Scotland, they were a combined 6-0-2, which led to sky-high expectations for the heavily favored Americans entering this week's installment.
"I don't have any worries about them," Team USA captain Pat Hurst said Sunday.
"They played well. Like yesterday, they played well. They could have went either way."
It's true. The record doesn't necessarily tell the story of how they have played.
The Kordas played together in the opening session, Saturday's alternate shot, and ran into the buzz saw that is Team Europe's Mel Reid and Leona Maguire. The match went to the 18th hole, where Europe held on for the 1-up victory. The Kordas rallied from down two holes early to take the match the distance.
Team USA lost 3.5 of a possible four points in that opening session, even though all matches went to 18. So, sometimes, the final result doesn't tell the story.
Nelly Korda went back out in the afternoon, for best-ball with Ally Ewing, and they beat Team Europe's Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Madelene Sagstrom, 1-up.
Jessica Korda sat out Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning sessions, while Nelly Korda was back out for a third match Sunday morning — and it went quite poorly. Her game was off, big-time, and, paired again with Ewing, led to a blowout 5-and-4 loss, again to Reid and Maguire.
Nelly Korda sat Sunday afternoon (it was always planned for her to play three of four), while Jessica returned and, with Megan Khang, lost 1-up to Madsen and Carlota Ciganda. It was a heck of a match, with Korda making eagle at the par-5 second, and nearly holing out for another at the par-5 eighth.
"First of all, I didn't have to mix things around," Hurst said of her pairings, in relation to the Kordas' record. "We stuck to our plan.
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"That's not what I didn't play them. I played them only one match today because I need them for my singles matches. That's where we usually shine."
In Monday singles, Nelly Korda, 23, a three-time winner this year including the Meijer LPGA Classic outside Grand Rapids and the Women's PGA (to say nothing of her gold medal in Tokyo), goes out third, and faces Georgia Hall at 12:35. Jessica, 28, plays Charley Hull at 1:45, in the second-to-last match. 

George Bowman of Oakhurst CC powerplays Ally Challenge tourny exemption into United Way donation

The Solheim Cup- Why X won the cup. Twelve match coverage

Sean Rash Wins PBA Chesapeake Open for 17th PBA Tour Title 

Chesapeake, Va.—On his 39th birthday, Sean Rash claimed his 17th Guaranteed Rate PBA Tour title by winning the PBA Chesapeake Open at AMF Western Branch Lanes. Rash, the No. 2 seed, eliminated 20-time PBA Tour champion Tommy Jones in the semifinal match, then defeated top seed Tom Daugherty, who won two of his four career titles earlier this season, in the championship match.
 Daugherty finished with a 212 game, forcing Rash to strike on his first shot in the 10th frame to have a chance. After a re-rack, Rash rolled the strike he needed, then fired his next shot down the middle to get enough count to make it official. Rash finished with a score of 228 to win his first title since the 2020 PBA Cheetah Championship.
 The victory moves Rash out of a tie with Hall of Famer Jason Couch and into a tie with Hall of Famer Carmen Salvino in all-time titles. It also jumps Rash into seventh in the PBA Summer Tour points race, which will net him a share of the $40,000 bonus prize fund. With his second-place finish, Daugherty also moved inside the top 10, finishing one spot behind Rash in eighth.
 Darren Tang, who won his first PBA Tour title last weekend in the PBA Bowlerstore.com Classic presented by Moxy’s Xtra Pair, finished seventh in Chesapeake to clinch the $20,000 bonus for leading the PBA Summer Tour points race. Tang finished in the top 12 in four of the five Summer Tour events to build a 35-point margin over runner-up Anthony Simonsen.
 Tang entered the final event of the PBA Summer Tour with a 65-point lead over Simonsen, who finished sixth in Chesapeake, which was not enough to catch Tang. Simonsen will receive $7,000 for placing second.
 PBA Chesapeake Open Final Standings
AMF Western Branch Lanes – Chesapeake, Va.
 

1. Sean Rash
2. Tom Daugherty
3. Tommy Jones
4. Ryan Ciminelli

 
Match Scores
Match 1 – No. 4 Jones def. No. 3 Ciminelli, 250-202
Match 2 – No. 2 Rash def. No. 4 Jones, 248-216
Match 3 – No. 2 Rash def. No. 1 Daugherty, 228-212
 
Full PBA Chesapeake Open standings: https://www.pba.com/tournaments/2021/pba-chesapeake-open
 
PBA Summer Tour Points Final Standings

1. Darren Tang, 4,825 ($20,000)
2. Anthony Simonsen, 4,790 ($7,000)
3. Shawn Maldonado, 3,902.5 ($4,000)
4. EJ Tackett, 3,665 ($3,000)
5. Jakob Butturff, 3,175 ($1,000)
6. Tommy Jones, 3,132.5 ($1,000)
7. Sean Rash, 3,090 ($1,000)
8. Tom Daugherty, 3,072.5 ($1,000)
9. Matt Russo, 3,010 ($1,000)
10. Chris Via, 2,655 ($1,000)

 

Kyle Larson hopes to continue dominance in NASCAR Cup at Michigan International Speedway

Kyle Larson has made the most of his opportunity to get back in NASCAR Cup racing while competing for the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports team.
Larson, who turned 29 last month, was fired by Chip Ganassi last season when Cup action was halted after four races due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Larson made a racial slur during an iRacing event.
Legendary Cup owner Rick Hendrick invited Larson to sit in the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro with Hendrick dealerships —  HendrickCars.com —  as the primary sponsor. Larson went on to win a series-high five races to take the points lead heading into Sunday’s FireKeepers 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
Larson knows his way to Victory Lane at MIS, earning his first Cup career win on the two-mile superspeedway in August of 2016 for Ganassi. He swept two races in 2017 and finished third in his last race at MIS in 2019.
“I don’t know what makes it a good track for me,” Larson said of MIS. “I think maybe just my race car has been really good there in the past. Our team has executed well, so hopefully we can go there and find the speed again and do a good job of executing in the race and get my fourth win there.”
More: In final ride for Team Penske, Brad Keselowski wants first 'home' win at MIS
While Larson has won five times this season and owns five second-place finishes, Kevin Harvick of Stewart/Haas is looking for his first win of the year. He swept the two races at MIS last August, run on consecutive days due to the pandemic. Harvick has won the last three races at MIS, also winning the August race in 2019.
Harvick and the Stewart/Haas team is struggling this season while Hendrick Motorsports drivers have 11 wins. Alex Bowman has won three times, defending Cup series champion Chase Elliott two and William Byron, one.
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Delivery: Daily
Your Email“I was going into a new team so I really didn’t know how we’d be," said Larson, who had won six races in his six full seasons with Ganassi before moving on to Hendrick. "But I knew the people they had in place were really good and I got to witness the success they had last year."
“I knew we’d be fast, so we’re maybe slightly better than I thought we’d be. But there’s still a lot of racing left and a lot of areas to improve so hopefully we can keep winning.”
After Sunday’s race at MIS, there will be just one race remaining in the regular season, Aug. 28 at Daytona. The 10-race playoffs begin at Darlington on Sept. 5.
How much confidence does Larson have heading into the stretch run?
“I think building momentum and having good races and piling them up definitely helps the confidence," Larson said. "And our team is confident, but we’re also not complacent. We want to improve each and every week. We want to study hard and just prepare and be ready for the weekend to get another win.”
Larson is also an outstanding dirt racer who loves to compete in any series. He won the Knoxville Nationals title Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa on Saturday before placing third in the road course Cup race at the Brickyard in Indianapolis the following day.
Larson wasn’t done, continuing his dirt race domination with a Stoops Pursuit race victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s dirt track Wednesday. He passed 15 cars in the 25-lap race to win the $3,000 top prize.
Larson doesn’t care what the prize money is. He just wants to compete. He’s also won the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals on the ¼-mile dirt track in Tulsa, along with the Kings Royal and Prairie Dirt Classic this season.
Given his versatility, race fans are wondering when he will compete in the Indianapolis 500.
Larson is focused on winning his first Cup series title, something former Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson did seven times before retiring last season. Jeff Gordon won four Cup championships with Hendrick.
Larson has the ability to win on road courses, winning Cup races this season at Sonoma and New Hampshire, while also winning on multiple 1.5-mile ovals.
“You get a taste of all the styles of race tracks during the playoffs and it definitely means a lot that we’ve been fast at most all of them this year and I hope that means we’ll be good come playoff time,” Larson said. “It’s tough. The competition is really stiff, and everybody is getting better every week. Denny (Hamlin) has been really tough this year, really consistent.”
Joe Gibbs Racing veteran driver Hamlin is second in points, trailing Larson by just 22. Hamlin won 13 races the previous two seasons, six in 2019 and seven in 2020, finishing fourth in points each year.
In pre-pandemic days, the Cup series at MIS had practice and qualifying on Friday, followed by practice Saturday and race day Sunday. There has been no practice and qualifying the last two years.
“I love it,” said Larson of just running the race on Sunday. “You have to adjust during the race and the team has to prepare hard during the week. It’s great for fans and saves money. I hope things stay this way.”

Allmendinger is at the right place at the right time at Indy

Alex Andrejev
​ NASCAR’s first Cup race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course was setting up to finish in predicable fashion in the final 10 laps. Kyle Larson was in the lead. Chase Elliott’s car fell off the jack on pit road, which meant he would have to overcome a setback to get to the front.
NASCAR fans have seen that story before, as recently as last week.
Instead, what ensued on Sunday was two overtime restarts, an airborne car, and a veteran-rookie drag race that culminated in a victory for a different driver who has made just four starts in the series over the past three seasons.
A.J. Allmendinger won the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard for his second career Cup win. He isn’t racing for the championship — he’s a part-time driver in the series competing for Kaulig Racing in select road course events.
“In my wildest dreams I could never imagine the way that just played out,” Allmendinger said.
‘What a mess’In the final five laps of the originally-planned 82-lap race, the curbing in Turn 6 broke to send multiple drivers spinning into the wall in a massive heap. William Byron, Joey Logano and Daniel Suárez were among those impacted, with Logano hitting the tire barrier. NASCAR red-flagged the race and removed part of the curbing, which created a ramp-like chute with the remaining configuration.
NASCAR was racing for the first time in series history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, rather than its traditional oval. IndyCar and NASCAR’s Xfinity Series raced at the track the day prior.
The Cup race had barely gone green in overtime after a long delay to clean up oil from a damaged car when more drivers, including Tyler Reddick, who won the first two stages, and Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon, were caught up in the next set of wrecks. Michael McDowell went flying through the air at the same spot to set off that series of spins.
Denny Hamlin, who was in the lead at the time, summarized the scene: “What a mess,” he said.

MAC Commissioner
​DR. JON STEINBRECHER
on the state of college athletics/MAC 

Austin Cindric to replace Brad Keselowski in No. 2 car at Team Penske for 2022 season​

By Dave Goricki- Courtesy of the Detroit News- NASCAR Cup team owner Roger Penske announced Thursday that 22-year-old Austin Cindric will be replacing former series champion Brad Keselowski in the No. 2 Ford Mustang next season.
Keselowski, a 37-year-old native of Rochester Hills, expressed interest in ownership within Team Penske in past years, but was told that wouldn’t be an option.
Keselowski, who earned Penske his first Cup series championship in 2012, has reportedly been interested in joining Roush-Fenway Racing with ownership in the deal for the 2022 season and beyond.
Keselowski has been one of the most consistent drivers in the series, owning 31 wins in the past 10 years —  starting with that championship season in 2012 —  the third most victories with active drivers during that stretch behind Kevin Harvick (40) and Kyle Busch (36) and just ahead of Martin Truex Jr. (29), Denny Hamlin (27) and Team Penske teammate Joey Logano (26).
“Getting to drive for Mr. Roger Penske in the No. 2 has been a tremendous opportunity, and I am so proud of the success we’ve had together,” Keselowski posted on his Twitter account. “His guidance has helped me both be a better competitor, but even more so a better man.
“When I first walked through the doors at Team Penske, the team had 65 Cup series wins and was on the hunt for their first NASCAR Championship. Over our years together we developed into a formidable force. Today, the team has more than 130 Cup series wins, two Xfinity Championships and two Cup series championships. I am so proud to have played a role in these wins and milestones.
“Looking to the future, I wish Austin and the team all the best in the next chapter. I extend my sincerest gratitude to the entire 2 crew for their commitment and work over the past 12-plus years. I know they will continue to do great things together with Austin at the wheel."

LPGA Day 1 of the Dow Invitational in Midland has familiar names at the top of the leaderboard

NASA HATAOKA WINS RAIN-SHORTENED MARATHON LPGA CLASSIC

The 2021 Marathon LPGA Classic was shortened to 54 holes after a full day of rain left the course unplayable. Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, who held a six-stroke lead after three rounds, was named the winner, earning her fourth LPGA Tour victory.
​“Knowing everybody is working really, really hard to try to get this to a 72-hole tournament. I wish it would've been able to do it, but with this weather it was really hard,” said Hataoka. “I'm happy to be able to win.”


Americans Elizabeth Szokol and Mina Harigae tied for second at -13, with both players earning the best finishes of their LPGA Tour careers. Esther Henseleit of Germany finished solo fourth at -12, with Yuka Saso, Amy Yang, Austin Ernst and Caroline Masson tied for fifth at -11. Defending champion Danielle Kang tied for ninth at -10.


Play was initially suspended at 9:40 a.m., with all players having started their rounds. The LPGA Tour and its on-site meteorologist monitored weather conditions all day and course conditions never improved to the point that play could successfully be resumed. The Monday forecast also calls for more rain and storms in the greater Toledo area.
“Our initial weather forecast called for steady morning rain, but eventual clearer conditions. Unfortunately, the clouds stalled overhead and the rain never let up enough for us to regain playable course conditions,” said Sue Witters, the LPGA Tour’s Vice President of Rules and Competitions. “Our first priority is always to complete four and while we hoped to be able to finish on Monday, the weather forecast was again unfavorable after 11 a.m.


“We wish we could have played four rounds, but we are thankful to the players and our tournament partners for their patience on a very difficult day. We are also incredibly appreciative of superintendent Greg Pattinson and the Highland Meadows grounds crew for their phenomenal work all week and especially in today’s difficult conditions.”
The last LPGA Tour competition to be reduced to 54 holes was the 2020 Cambia Portland Classic, which was adversely affected by wildfires in the Pacific Northwest.

MARATHON LPGA CLASSIC  Highlights 

Cam Davis wins Rocket Mortgage Classic on 5th playoff hole

LARRY LAGE
Sun, July 4, 2021, DETROIT (AP) — Cam Davis holed a 50-foot sand shot on the 71st hole of regulation and that propelled him into a five-hole playoff where he outlasted Troy Merritt and Joaquin Niemann to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic for his first PGA Tour victory.
“It’s the only reason I’m sitting here now," Davis said at a news conference alongside the trophy. “To be honest, in my head there wasn’t a thought of trying to hole it."
Davis ultimately won when Merritt missed a 6-foot par putt on the fifth playoff hole.
Davis missed putts to win on each of the playoff holes, but maintained his composure because he knew good shots set up putts he just missed.
The 26-year-old Australian left 6- and 18-foot putts high, a 25-foot putt low and a 19-footer high. He misread a break on a 12-foot putt on the fifth playoff hole and settled for a par, then won when Merritt made bogey.
“I just tried to put as much out of my mind as I could and just hit every shot for what it was worth," Davis said. “As simple as that’s said, it’s so hard to do when the pressure’s on like that. I just kept on putting good swings on it.
“I guess I didn’t make any putts, but I kept on putting it in play, so it worked out all right."
Davis closed with a 5-under 67 to match Merritt (68) and Niemann (68) at 18-under 270 at Detroit Golf Club. Niemann dropped out of the playoff with a bogey on the first extra hole, his first bogey of the week.
“It’s hard to be standing here knowing that there is a playoff going on right now," Niemann told reporters.
Niemann had a chance to win it on the 72nd hole, but left a 17-foot putt high.
“I should have won this tournament, but I mean, it is what it is," Niemann said. “I’m going to go rest next week and try to do my best for the (British) Open and the Olympics."
Niemann had two shots that went 569 yards at 17 and he two-putted from 14 feet to take the lead at 18 under, but he quickly had company.
Merritt, who was in the final group with Niemann, made his fourth birdie in a five-hole stretch to share the lead at 17.
Davis joined the leaders with the eagle-birdie finish.
“I’ve been in some good positions before, but to play the golf that I played coming down the stretch was just awesome," said Davis, who entered the tournament with four top-10 finishes the past two years.
The 35-year-old Merritt was shooting for his third PGA Tour win and first since 2018. He has been in contention lately, but has come up just short.
“It’s been a nice couple two months, four top-10s, now nice finish this week," he said. “I just hope for that win. We’re knocking on the door."
The 22-year-old Niemann shared the second- and third-round lead and was runner-up for the third time, including coming up short in a playoff at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Last week at the Travelers Championship, Harris English beat Kramer Hickok in an eight-hole playoff that tied the second-longest sudden death in PGA Tour history. Hickock stuck around to watch the playoff in Detroit after finishing 6 under.
Alex Noren (64) had a share of the lead at 17. He got out of the heat and humidity, but planned to leave the comfortable clubhouse as soon someone was a stroke ahead of him and that happened with a trio of competitors. Noren tied for fourth with Hank Lebioda (68).
Bubba Watson surged up the leaderboard earlier on the hot and steamy afternoon with a 64 to put him at 16 under. That briefly gave him a share of the lead, and he tied for sixth with Brandon Hagy (68).

---

Willie Mack III makes first PGA TOUR cut

DETROIT — Willie Mack III shot a second-round 73 to finish 3 under to make his first PGA TOUR cut. After bogeys on holes 7, 11 and 16, there was no margin for error.  
From short of the 18th green, he chipped to 4 1/2 feet and made the par putt. His friends and family, some wearing Willie Mack III T-shirts, exhaled and cheered. Wayne Birch, who caddies for Troy Merritt (68, 9 under) and had returned to the course after Merritt finished, held up his phone to capture the moment.
“I probably was more nervous than he was,” said Birch, who played for Southern University before embarking on his career as a caddie. “In the Black community in golf, we all knew, all of us who played at a high level, that Willie is next up. This is so big.” 
Mack, 32, hasn’t gotten much sleep. Darkness halted play with three holes remaining in his first round, so he woke up early and played 21 holes Friday. His supporters were there for every shot.
“Yeah, I heard some of my friends,” he said. “I wasn't looking, but I know their voices, so I heard them. It's exciting to just be able to play in your hometown amongst friends and family.”
Friday marked a historic chapter in one of the game’s least likely origin stories.
The son of a social worker, Mack grew up in nearby Flint, a town that became synonymous with the loss of manufacturing jobs in America. He scrounged for equipment, and when his high school team discontinued its golf team his sophomore year, his dad moved them to Grand Blanc.
Mack’s new school won the 2004 state championship. He won the Flint City Amateur three times, and in 2011 was the first Black player to win the Michigan Amateur. He played for the only school to give him a full-ride scholarship, HBCU Bethune-Cookman, and won 11 times.
Life as a pro, though, was no picnic. He lived in his car for a year and a half, slept in friends’ spare bedrooms. Insiders knew how good he was, but the full array of his talents remained mostly hidden. Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner noted that the first time Mack worked with well-known instructor Todd Anderson at TPC Sawgrass – part of the PGA TOUR’s commitment to the minority-focused APGA Tour – Anderson asked, “How are you not on TOUR yet?” 
A lack of funds didn’t help. When he qualified to play PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2018, Mack – the winner of more than 60 minitour titles – didn’t play the circuit because the cost was prohibitive. Last year, though, his career took a quantum leap when Farmers Insurance signed him and fellow APGA star Kamaiu Johnson to two-year deals as player ambassadors.
Since then, Mack’s opportunities have kept rolling in. The 2019 Player of the Year on the APGA and the Florida Pro Golf Tour, he filled in for Johnson at the 11th hour at the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. Although he missed the cut (74-75) he beat a handful of TOUR winners. 
Mack also got into The Genesis Invitational in L.A. as the Charlie Sifford Exemption recipient. He again missed the cut (70-76) but finished ahead of Rory McIlroy, among others. He also had a leisurely lunch with tournament host Tiger Woods, his childhood idol. 
He estimates he has played Detroit Golf Club hundreds of times, although not always with such wet fairways and swirling winds. Although he got to 6 under and just three off the lead through six holes of his second round, he was 3 over from there, leading to some tense moments.
“I’m just so happy for him,” Birch said. “It’s so inspiring. My dream was to play on the PGA TOUR, but that’s over with. With Willie – it’s almost like I’m living through him. It just goes to show that if you keep grinding, stay the course, and believe in yourself, anything can happen.” 

Birch and Mack were part of a group that would be going to watch the Detroit Tigers on Friday night, and they’ll have plenty to celebrate. Mack’s biggest career paycheck to date is $37,000, and now he’ll be playing for a lot more than that over the weekend on a course he knows well.
Whatever happens, he’ll play in the John Deere Classic next week. It’s an exciting time.
“I went to go get some food last night,” he said. “I think I got about three hours of sleep. I'm tired, but I think adrenaline kept me going and hopefully it can hold up for the next two days.”

NASCAR at Pocono results: Kyle Busch saves just enough fuel to win, end Hendrick Motorsports' win streak​

With 59 career victories and two championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Busch has earned the right to be called a modern day legend of stock car racing. As his second win of the 2021 season was, indeed, the stuff of legends -- as they'll long be talking about the time Busch won Pocono with only fourth gear.
Despite major transmission issues, Busch was able to save enough fuel over a long green flag run to the finish to win the Explore the Pocono Mountains 350. Busch had suffered a major transmission issue during the day, as he had lost the clutch in the No. 18 car and only had fourth gear at his disposal. But in having to try and fix his transmission under caution, Busch was able to top off on fuel, putting him prime position as the rest of the leaders had to either go into hard fuel conservation mode or come to pit road over the final 10 laps.
Unofficial top 10

1. #18 - Kyle Busch
2. #5 - Kyle Larson
3. #2 - Brad Keselowski
4. #4 - Kevin Harvick
5. #23 - Bubba Wallace
6. #12 - Ryan Blaney
7. #48 - Alex Bowman
8. #37 - Ryan Preece
9. #8 - Tyler Reddick
10. #22 - Joey Logano

"Just playing the strategy the best we could with what was given to us. Sometimes these races aren't always won by the fastest car, but I still felt like we had the fastest car. Even though we were in the back and behind and having to come through and preserve through behind stuck in fourth gear, no clutch, all that stuff -- It's all burnt out," Busch told NBC Sports. "Nothing left in this M&M's Mini's Camry. It was awesome today."
As the final green flag run unfolded, the altering fuel strategies throughout the field began to play out over a dramatic final 10 laps. As Brad Keselowski was forced to pit for fuel from the race lead, William Byron held a comfortable lead as he tried to conserve fuel, but his pace allowed Denny Hamlin and Busch to close in. Byron then had to pit for fuel coming to two laps to go, and Hamlin had to peel off for fuel coming to the white flag.
With his fuel mileage win, Busch earned his second victory of the season and snapped a six-race win streak by Hendrick Motorsports drivers. Busch is now one of four drivers to have earned multiple wins this season, joining Kyle Larson (four), Martin Truex Jr. (three), and Alex Bowman (three).
With the doubleheader at Pocono Raceway now complete, the NASCAR Cup Series will continue northwards next week with their inaugural race at Road America in Wisconsin.

Saturday's motors: Bowman zips past Larson after late flat and wins at Pocono

Long Pond, Pa. — Alex Bowman helplessly watched teammate Kyle Larson zip past him in the waning laps at Pocono and apologized to his crew over the radio for blowing the lead.
Larson's blown tire cost him so much more. Larson's left front tire went down when his Chevrolet ran over debris less than a mile from the finish — and a fourth straight win in sight — that stunningly slammed NASCAR's hottest driver into the wall.
Ah, so a flat tire is how you beat Kyle Larson.
Bowman had a second chance in a flash and this time would not waste the lead. This is how the last two months have rolled for Hendrick Motorsports — when one driver falters, another one finds a way to victory lane.
Bowman made it six straight wins for Hendrick, and the shredded tire denied Larson's bid for a fourth straight Cup victory Saturday at Pocono Raceway. Bowman was in stunned disbelief as he crossed the line for for his third win of the season.
“This is the strangest win I've ever been a part of,” Bowman said.
Larson laughed at his misfortune. He won three straight Cup races and was in prime position for another at Pocono when he passed Bowman with three laps left in the race. Larson was maybe a mile away from becoming the first driver since former Hendrick champion Jimmie Johnson in 2007 to win four consecutive Cup races. Instead, the tire went down on the last corner of the last lap and knocked Larson out of contention.

Rahm closes with 2 birdies to win the US Open

Sunday at Torrey Pines has given golf fans quite the gift before. We can only be so lucky if the excitement in 2021 matches a fraction of what 2008 gave us.
It’s a crowded leader board with three players at the top—Louis Oosthuizen, Russell Henley and Mackenzie Hughes leading at 5-under. Oosthuizen’s finishing eagle at the 54th hole on Saturday was very reminiscent of Tiger Woods in 2008. So perhaps that’s a sign of what’s in store for today.
RELATED: U.S. Open 2021: Ranking the 11 contenders with the best chance to win at Torrey Pines
(Scroll down for the latest updates)
The leader board is loaded beneath these three with Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy right behind the leaders at 3-under par, and Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Matthew Wolff all at 2-under and just three back of the lead. We know that the past 22 major champions were all within four of the lead—and the past seven U.S. Open winners were all either in first place or second place entering the final round.
RELATED: U.S. Open 2021: Tour pro four-putts from five feet at Torrey Pines

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FullscreenTHE LATEST VIDEOS FROM GOLF DIGESTLet’s hope we’re in store for another special conclusion to a U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
Here are the latest updates from Sunday at Torrey Pines (most recent updates at the top, all times eastern):
8:21 p.m.: You're not going to believe this, but Oosthuizen made his final birdie putt to secure solo second, marking his SIXTH runner-up finish in a major championship. Historic silver-medaling, and now the latest and greatest "what if?" in his fascinating career. Seriously, there's an argument to be made that he should have, at minimum, four to five majors. Yet still, just one. 
For you math buffs, that means Rahm now has as many as Oosthuizen, and what feels like the first of many, though we've probably said that about so many guys who are still stuck on one (or none). This one was wildly impressive though, especially considering what he just went through at the Memorial Tournament a few weeks ago.

LEONA MAGUIRE FINDING A BIT OF IRELAND AT BLYTHEFIELD COUNTRY CLUB

MEIJER LPGA CLASSIC LEADERBOARD PITS FOUR-WAY TIE AFTER DAY ONE
The conditions on Thursday at Blythefield Country Club were ideal for scoring in the first round of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. A total of 85 players in the 144-player field found their way to red numbers and four individuals--Nasa Hataoka, Leona Maguire, Charley Hull and Lauren Stephenson—share the lead at 7-under par 65 in Belmont, Mich.

“On the first nine, it felt like my ball had a magnet to the hole. It was like I couldn’t miss,” Stephenson said after recording a bogey-free, 6-under par 30 on the back [her opening] nine. “I probably made a 35-foot putt on one of the par-3s, which is super abnormal for me. Felt like everything was going my way so I took advantage of that today.”

A week ago, Maguire was the outright 18-hole Mediheal Championship leader. Today, she continued her trend of opening on the right foot.

“It [Blythefield Country Club] reminds me a lot of home, a lot of golf courses that I grew up playing,” said Maguire, who signed for a bogey-free 65 on Thursday. “Very green, some trees. Drove the ball well and just sort of suits my eye quite well. Tried to build on that momentum I had last week in San Francisco.”


Among the leaders, Hataoka also turned in a masterful first-round performance. She found seven birdies and no bogeys en route to seeing her name atop the leaderboard tied for the lead.

“There was a couple holes where I actually thought I had a bogey chance, but was able to get up and down for par,” Hataoka said of keeping her mistakes to a minimum. “This course, usually everyone hits low scores, so it is really important for me to play four good rounds. Hoping to continue that tomorrow.”

One shot back at -6 and tied for fifth is Ariya Jutanugarn and Min Lee. Jutanugarn recently captured an 11th career LPGA Tour title in her native country at the Honda LPGA Thailand and has two top-10 results since the victory. 

Lee is also on a heater as of late. She won the Mission Inn Resort & Club Championship on the Symetra Tour last month and followed it up with the first top-10 finish of her LPGA Tour career at the Mediheal Championship. 

“I have played this course a couple times before, so I kind of know this course a little bit,” said Lee, who is making her fifth start at the Meijer LPGA Classic. “The first few holes, I was still adjusting to the greens speed because it is so much different compared to last week [at Lake Merced]. At the beginning, I didn’t get a chance to make it [any birdie putts], but it started to roll after a couple holes. I think my putting is pretty good and also my iron shots. That helped give me a lot of birdies.”

Eleven players are tied for seventh at -5 including 2020 AIG Women’s Open champion Sophia Popov and tournament sponsor exemption Gabriela Ruffels. Lexi Thompson, the 2015 Meijer LPGA Classic winner, is tied for 18th at -4, while two-time and defending Meijer LPGA Classic champ Brooke Henderson shot +3 and is tied for 128th.

EAGLES GUIDE FÚTBOL FAN CHARLEY HULL TO STRONG FIRST-ROUND FINISH
It was a slow start out of the gate by Charley Hull at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. But the 25-year-old from England stepped on the gas to shoot 7-under par 65 in round one at Blythefield Country Club.

The performance was highlighted by two eagles coming at No. 14, the Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole, and No. 18.

“I hit a good drive [on 14], and like a little draw 4-iron into the green. Holed a 35-, 40-foot putt and then No. 18 didn’t quite catch the drive,” said Hull. “Didn’t hit my driver well today. But then 7-iron into I think like 10-15 feet and holed it.

“I feel really good with my irons. It’s just my driver. As long as I can get it somewhere near the fairway, I have a chance because I’m hitting my irons well. Been working hard on my game the last few weeks.”


With rain expected overnight in Belmont, Mich., Hull may be the only player rooting for it to carry over into the morning wave on Friday. She has good reason, however. Her native England squares off against Scotland at 3 p.m. ET in the Group Stage of UEFA Euro 2020. Hull starts on No. 10 tee tomorrow at 12:48 p.m. local time.

“Hopefully it gets a delay and then I can watch England—Scotland football tomorrow,” Hull said. “It is always good when England is playing. Pubs at home are a lot of fun. I wish I was at home in a pub, but I'm happy with my 7-under so I'll stay out here.

“I think it's good to get a good score going, especially when it's bad weather coming in. It's very scorable golf course so I'm looking forward to tomorrow.”

LEONA MAGUIRE FINDING A BIT OF IRELAND AT BLYTHEFIELD COUNTRY CLUB
It has been a great season for rookie Leona Maguire. With three top-10 finishes and a season-best result of tied for second at the LOTTE Championship, a win would be the cherry atop a cake. After Thursday’s first round at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Grand Rapids, Mich., that goal seems more achievable than ever as Maguire shares the lead of 7-under with Nasa Hataoka, Charley Hull and Lauren Stephenson.

What helped Maguire card a low number on day one at Blythefield Country Club was the familiarity of playing similar courses in Ireland.

“e, Elm Park, ones I grew up playing during junior golf. I

Danielle Kang- the defending champion at the Marathon Classic in Toledo talks Solheim and her 2020 win

​ALL-STAR LINEUP SET FOR ROCKET MORTGAGE CLASSIC’S AREA 313 CELEBRITY SCRAMBLE

The PGA TOUR professionals participating in the Rocket Mortgage Classic also will be playing for a chance to score big for Changing the Course, thanks to the contribution of the host organization, Rocket Mortgage. The first player to score a 3 on Hole 14 (an eagle), a hole-in-one on Hole 15, and a 3 on Hole 16 (a birdie) – scoring a 3-1-3 along that stretch – cumulatively over the four days of tournament play will trigger a $313,000 donation made in his name and split between a charity of the golfer’s choice and the Connect 313 Fund, in support of Changing the Course.
 
                        Additionally, for each 3 made on hole 14, Rocket Mortgage will supply $5,000 to Changing the Course, while any 1 made on hole 15 will trigger a $10,000 donation and any 3 made on hole 16 will result in a $5,000 contribution. Last year, thanks to 15 eagles made on the 14th hole and 63 birdies made on the 16th, the company’s donation totaled $385,000.
 
WHO:            PGA TOUR stars Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Bubba Watson, Harold Varner III, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler will each captain a four-player team consisting of celebrities that will include Larry Fitzgerald, Barry Sanders, Tom Izzo, Lexi Thompson and Maurice Allen. Each team will also include a participant from The John Shippen National Invitational and a sponsor representative. 
 
                       PGA TOUR pros scheduled to compete:
·       Bryson DeChambeau – A Rocket Mortgage golf ambassador, he is the reigning champion of the Rocket Mortgage Classic and the world’s fourth-ranked player. Among his eight PGA TOUR titles is the 2020 U.S. Open championship. The TOUR’s FedExCup leader and driving distance leader is the fifth golfer in history to win both the NCAA Division I championship and the U.S. Amateur in the same year.
·       Jason Day - A former World No. 1 from Australia, Day won the 2015 PGA Championship and 2016 PLAYERS Championship along with 10 other PGA TOUR titles. He finished third in the final 2015 PGA TOUR FedExCup standings after winning two playoff events.
·       Rickie Fowler – A Rocket Mortgage golf ambassador, he is a five-time PGA TOUR winner and the 2010 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year. The 2015 PLAYERS Championship winner represented the United States at the 2016 Rio Olympics and has played in the Ryder Cup on four separate occasions.
·       Phil Mickelson – Winner of 45 events on the PGA TOUR, including six major championships: three Masters titles (2004, 2006, 2010), the 2005 and 2021 PGA Championship and the Open Championship in 2013. A World Golf Hall of Famer, he is one of 12 players in history to win three of the four majors.
·       Harold Varner III - A PGA TOUR fan favorite who was victorious at the 2016 Australian PGA Championship. He was tied for second heading into the final round of the 2019 PGA Championship.
·       Bubba Watson – Owner of 12 PGA TOUR wins, which include the 2012 and 2014 Masters tournaments, and an avid supporter of the Rocket Mortgage Classic’s Changing the Course initiative. He represented the U.S. at the 2016 Rio Olympics and placed T8.
     
      Celebrity participants scheduled to compete:
·       Maurice Allen – A multi-time long drive champion, former Guinness World Record Holder and twice ranked number one World Long Drive competitor.
·       Larry Fitzgerald – An 11-time Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL’s active leader in reception, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
·       Tom Izzo - Michigan State men’s basketball coach since 1995 and a 2016 inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He led the Spartans to a national championship in 2000 and has made eight total appearances in the Final Four.
·       Barry Sanders – A Pro Football Hall of Famer who was a 10-time Pro Bowler during his 10-year career with the Lions and is fourth all time in rushing yards.
·       Lexi Thompson – A 14-time LPGA tournament winner and a newly announced Rocket Mortgage golf ambassador. Thompson became the second-youngest winner of a women’s major championship when she captured the Kraft Nabisco Championship at age 19 in 2014. She is currently ninth in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking. ​
 

Tom Daugherty Wins PBA Scorpion Championship for Second WSOB XII Title His fourth career title

Tom Daugherty won his fourth career PBA Tour title and second of the World Series of Bowling XII, defeating Kyle Troup, 266-254, in the title match of the PBA Scorpion Championship. On Saturday, Daugherty won the Guaranteed Rate PBA World Championship for his first career major title. Sunday, Daugherty and his partner BJ Moore finished second in the PBA Roth/Holman Doubles Championship.   “You can’t imagine this,” said Daugherty. “I thought maybe I’d win the Scorpion, or maybe win the Doubles, but to win the World Championship and the Scorpion? It’s not even something I thought of.”   In the eliminator format, Daugherty bowled a 244 to lead the three advancing players out of the opening match, leaving Michael Tang on the outside. In the next match, Daugherty rolled 276 while Troup posted 279, leaving Kris Prather in third place.   “The lane play was totally different from what I expected,” said Daugherty, citing Tang’s decision to use urethane. “Once I got in the groove, I knew what I had to do to get my ball into the pocket. I just had to throw it slowly enough and get it on line and it was going to carry and go high flush.”   The top seed for best-of-five match play, Daugherty eliminated No. 16 Pete Weber in the Round of 16 and No. 8 Walter Ray Williams in the Round of 8, winning both series three games to two. Both Weber and Williams announced their retirement earlier today, making Daugherty the final opponent for the legends.   “Coming in today and having to bowl Pete Weber and Walter Ray, are you kidding me?” said Daugherty. “If it didn’t happen, I wouldn’t believe it.”   World Series of Bowling XII took place at AMF University Lanes and Daugherty wasn’t shy about admitting an advantage over the rest of the field.   “I love bowling here,” said Daugherty. “I win a lot of tournaments here.”   PBA Scorpion Championship Final Standings AMF University Lanes – Tampa, Fla.   Tom Daugherty, earns $30,000 Kyle Troup, $15,000 Kris Prather, $8,000 Michael Tang, $5,000

JEFFREY AUSTRENG WINS MDUSBC MASTERS AND CLAIMS $2,000 FIRST PRIZE AT WESTLAND BOWL

Two-time Masters champion Jeffrey Austreng of Waterford remained in the winner’s bracket and beat fellow two-time champion Justin Knowles of Okemos 430-413 in the final two-game match to win the Metro Detroit USBC Masters Tournament at Westland Bowl in Westland Sunday. Austreng claimed the title and the $2,000 first prize making him the third three-time champion in the 58-year history of the event joining Dick Beattie (1974, 1980 and 1981) and Mark Moore (2001, 2003 and 2004). Knowles settled for the second place check of $1,000.
Austreng, the 2005 and 2007 Masters champion, qualified 16th with a six-game total of 1,319. In match play, he beat Carl Boldt of Pontiac 435-313, two-time champion Justin Knowles of Okemos 488-441, defending champion Ryan VanHecke of Chesterfield 438-411, Lonnie Jones of Ypsilanti 471-430 and Mason Brantley of Detroit 476-399 to remain the lone survivor in the winner’s bracket. He then lost to Knowles 448-420 before coming back to claim the championship 430-413. He averaged 223.8 for 20 games of competition.
Knowles, the 2018 and 2019 Masters champion, was the top qualifier with 1,523. After losing his first match to Jeffrey Austreng of Waterford 488-441 he moved through the loser’s bracket with wins over Kenneth Wyatt of Sterling Heights 433-399, Conner Lackey of Jackson 505-376, Craig Nidiffer of Dearborn Heights 470-410, Matthew Coleman of Waterford 482-385, Jones 524-433 and Brantley 452-349 to advance to the championship match. Once in the final match he avenged the earlier defeat to Austreng 448-420 before falling 430-413 to end the day. Knowles averaged 240 for 26 games of competition.
Brantley, the 2011 Masters champion, qualified 11th with 1,339, including a 300 game. In match play, he defeated Dan Pollak of Fraser 362-360, Conner Weber of Wayne 495-431, Christopher Nielson of Livonia 496-366 and Derrick Norman of Saginaw 405-382 before falling into the loser’s bracket with a loss to Austreng 476-399. In the loser’s bracket, he then lost to Knowles 452-349 to end his day. Brantley averaged 213.6 for 18 games of competition and settled for $700.
Bazzy, the 2019 MDUSBC Junior Masters champion, qualified fourth 1,398. He won his first match over Terrance Bell of Pontiac 462-355, before falling to Jones in double overtime 58-26 after tying with 392 and 60-60 in the first two-frame overtime. Once in the loser’s bracket he prevailed over Weber 453-422, VanHecke 502-476, and Norman 480-397 before falling to Knowles 448-427 to end his day. Bazzy averaged 228.6 for 18 games and took home $500 for his efforts.
Jones qualified 12th with 1,333 and took home $450 for his fifth place finish. Derrick Norman finished sixth for $450, Matthew Coleman seventh for $400 and Ryan VanHecke eighth for $400.
There were five 300 games in the competition, tying the record set in 1994 at Satellite Bowl. Knowles, Jones and Pollak bowled them in match play; and Brantley and Ryan Briguglio of Macomb in qualifying.


PL              NAME    CITY    AVERAGE WINNINGS       
                                               
1               Jeffrey Austreng        Waterford       223.85   $     2,000   
2               Justin Knowles  Okemos  239.96   $     1,000   
3               Mason Brantley  Detroit 213.61   $       700   
4               Drake Bazzy     Flat Rock       228.56   $       500   
5               Lonnie Jones    Ypsilanti       222.31   $       450   
6               Derrick Norman  Saginaw 221.71   $       450   
7               Matthew Coleman Waterford       217.94   $       400   
8               Ryan VanHecke   Chesterfield    212.69   $       400   
9               Conner Weber    Wayne   225.79   $       350   
10              Craig Nidiffer  Dearborn Heights        223.42   $       350   
11              Chris Nielson   Livonia 210.29   $       350   
12              John Tovar      Waterford       197.07   $       350   
13              Conner Lackey   Jackson 223.08   $       325   
14              Perry Crowell IV        St Clair Shores 214.36   $       325   
15              Dan Pollak      Fraser  209.00   $       325   
16              Zakarey Geer    Madison Heights 208.00   $       325   
17              Ryan Briguglio  Macomb  222.40   $       300   
18              Dan Jordan      Livonia 219.10   $       300   
19              Justin Neiman   Macomb  218.10   $       300   
20              Kenneth Wyatt   Sterling Heights        211.50   $       300   
21              Peter Kaczmarczyk       Warren  208.90   $       300   
22              Terrance Bell   Pontiac 207.00   $       300   
23              Carl  Boldt     Pontiac 206.20   $       300   
24              Harold Sullins  Chesterfield    205.00   $       300   NON-CASHING SENIORS (50- AND OVER)

Michigan State announces basketball team will now be called 'MSU Spartans Presented by Rocket Mortgage'

Detroit Lions: It is Quintez Cephus’ time to shine in 2021

by Nathan Williams     
     The Detroit Lions are entering the 2021 season in full rebuild mode under new head coach Dan Campbell. Campbell was given a six-year contract in the Motor City, signaling that he will be given sufficient time to “re-tool” the team.
One exciting advantage Detroit has over other NFL teams is that most of their coaching staff are former players. Anthony Lynn was recently brought in as the new offensive coordinator after spending 2020 as San Diego Chargers head coach. There, he helped develop first-year quarterback Justin Herbert who was the NFL rookie of the year.
Former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell is now the quarterback coach in Detroit. Considering the Lions’ current quarterback situation with Jared Goff and a possible rookie joining the team via the NFL Draft, Brunell appears to be the perfect coach to help develop Detroit’s signal-callers.

In my opinion, the hires that were brought in are a great start to building a contending team in the NFC North. Now comes the building of the roster.
NFL Free Agency begins on March 17, and the NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 26. It’s obviously hard to predict who Campbell and the company will bring in to join the team.
What’s not so hard to predict is who’s leaving the team. Marvin Jones has been the Lions No. 1 wide receiver on and off for a few years. He’s now a free agent heading into his tenth season.
For Jones, “nothing is off the table,” as he said in a Sirius XM radio interview.
Other wide receivers that will hit the market are:

• Danny Amendola
• Mohamed Sanu
• Kenny Golladay
• Jamal Agnew

That’s basically everyone, but there is one guy left.
2020 Detroit LionsQuintez Cephus was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft with pick 166 overall. He played his college football at the University of Wisconsin, where he had 93 receptions, for1,496 yards, and 13 touchdowns.
Cephus is a strong, aggressive, physical receiver. He doesn’t have burst, but he runs routes well and finds a way to get open.  If he’s not open, he still catches the ball in a small window.
Size and body positioning create workable windows in tight quarters and his ball skills build trust with the quarterback. He’s a build-up runner who lacks suddenness to uncover and may need to be motioned, bunched, and lined in the slot to help with early separation. Teams know he can catch it but will need to see him get open. — NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein



When the 2021 season kicks off, Cephus will likely be the only wide receiver on the roster, but others will be brought in. The Lions could go wideout in the first round at No. 7.
Guys like Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith will probably be available. Does Detroit bring in a wide receiver with their first-round pick?
Doesn’t offer that late burst to the football and his speed is gradual. Battles through tightness in his lowers on horizontal cuts. Twitch and suddenness is missing. — The Draft Network’s Joe MarinoIt’s highly probable if you put any stock into the mock drafts many NFL analysts have been putting out.
Whether someone that is highly talented is brought in through the NFL Draft or free agency, Cephus will have an amazing opportunity to show the world what he has.
And he’s ready.

Detroit Lions: Brad Holmes needs to continue prioritizing the offense

By Bob Heyrman from Fan Side Daily
The perfect scenario for the Detroit Lions would be trading down in the first round of the NFL Draft adding much-needed draft capital but continue to focus on the offensive side of the football, particularly at the wide receiver position.
I understand how awful the Detroit Lions defense performed under former head coach Matt Patricia, but as it stands now, the organization needs help at all levels of their defense.  Repairing that side of the football will take more than a top-fifteen choice in the draft.  I’d prefer to add an elite talent on offense and focus on adding multiple defensive pieces throughout the draft.
Many experts seem to be wavering between quarterback Trey Lance or linebacker Micah Parsons if Detroit holds onto the seventh overall pick.
This is where things get tricky for me, particularly surrounding Lance.  If the Detroit Lions have an opportunity to choose Lance but opt to trade down or select someone like Parsons or even a receiver, we will always be following Lance’s career, and he could be the ‘what if’ player.
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If Lance is a star, it will be a tough pill to swallow for the next twenty years; if he’s mediocre and Detroit selects an All-Pro player at a different position, general manager Brad Holmes will look like a genius.
I don’t dislike Lance, but I think he’s a tier-two quarterback prospect in the upcoming draft.  Lance isn’t Trevor Lawrence, and I feel he’s a ways behind Zach Wilson.  I’d put Lance slightly ahead of Justin Fields, but they’d be on the same level.
That being said, Lance may not even be available when the Detroit Lions are on the board at seven if NFL organizations have him pegged as the third-best quarterback entering the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Detroit Lions should select a player on offense in the first round of the NFL Draft.After adding 26-year old Jared Goff, the Lions need to surround him with some weapons on offense.  Are we certain that Lance will be better than Goff?  I’m all for drafting Lawrence or Wilson, but I expect they will be selected first and second overall.
If the Lions fail to find a trade partner for the seventh overall pick, offensive tackle Penei Sewell would be my first (non-quarterback) choice.  I don’t expect Sewell will be available at seven, but stranger things have happened.  It would be nice to bolster the offensive line by pairing Sewell with Taylor Decker for several years.
My next choice would be one of the top three receivers.  I’d be content with either Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and DeVonta Smith.  Many will have Smith above Waddle, but I feel that Waddle has a higher ceiling at the professional level, but if both Chase and Waddle are unavailable, the Detroit Lions should be thrilled with adding Smith.
We’re waiting to see what the Detroit Lions choose to do with star receiver Kenny Golladay, leaving just Quintez Cephus as the only other notable pass-catcher rostered heading into free agency and the draft.  The Lions should add a couple of young playmakers on the outside to give Goff a chance to succeed.

Michael McDowell wins rain-delayed Daytona 500 after last-lap wreck

Christopher Bell captures first career Cup win on Daytona Road Course

​By
Holly Cain NASCAR Wire Service February 21, 2021  at 6:37 PMDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — For the second consecutive week, Daytona International Speedway crowned a first-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell earned the honor Sunday on the track’s road course, taking the lead from Joey Logano with two laps to go and pulling away to a comfortable 2.119-second victory over the former series champion.
Bell, 26, is the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and this is his second season at the premier level — his first driving for the championship Gibbs organization. His work Sunday, however, was more reminiscent of a veteran. There were eight caution flags, eight race leaders and a whole lot of action in the waning laps.
RELATED: Official race results | At-track photos
Bell pulled around Logano in the chicane just yards before the white flag and easily stretched the lead to earn his first career NASCAR Cup Series trophy. Bell’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin finished third, followed by Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski.
Kevin Harvick, AJ Allmendinger, last week’s Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell — also a first-time winner this season — Ryan Preece and Alex Bowman rounded out the top 10. This is just third time in NASCAR Cup Series history the season has started with two first-time winners — joining 1949 and 1950.

Michael McDowall wins for the first time in 358 NASCAR starts. 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Michael McDowell was glued to Brad Keselowski's bumper, watching and waiting for his chance to win the Daytona 500.
Joey Logano was the leader, the laps were winding down and yet no one had the nerve to pull out of traffic. McDowell was certain Keselowski would go for it, eventually, and when he did, McDowell would play his hand.

     On the final lap, Keselowski attempted to dart around Logano, but Logano threw a block on his teammate that crashed them both. McDowell stayed right where he was, flat in the gas, and drove through a crash scene for a stunning upset.
"I knew he would go for a race-winning move, and my plan was to let him make that move,'' McDowell said. ''I knew I didn't want to make my move too early, so I was committed to the [Keselowski] bumper; and when he made the move, the hole opened up."
     A 100-1 underdog when the race began Sunday afternoon, McDowell won for the first time in 358 Cup starts when the checkered flag finally flew about 15 minutes after midnight. The race was stopped by rain for almost six hours and ended nine hours after the green flag waved at Daytona International Speedway.
"There's been lots of years where I was wondering what the heck am I doing and why am I doing it?" McDowell said. "I always knew if I just kept grinding that one day everything will line up and go right.''
NASCAR's season opener was stacked with storylines. Denny Hamlin was trying for a record third consecutive Daytona 500 victory, and the team he started with Michael Jordan was debuting with driver Bubba Wallace.
Kyle Larson was back after nearly a year in exile for using a racial slur, and reigning Cup champion Chase Elliott was going for his first Daytona 500 win.
And all the way at the back of the field, 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope made what he said would be his final NASCAR start. At 62, he was the oldest driver in the field, and his upset victory 31 years ago was considered the biggest in race history.
McDowell didn't take that title from Cope, partly because McDowell is a strong superspeedway racer capable of mixing it up with the usual suspects. If he could ever find himself in the right place at the right time, McDowell figured he could steal a win.
"It's been a tough road for me. I've had to spend a lot of years grinding it out,'' McDowell said. His career has been stabilized by four seasons driving for Front Row Motorsports, a tiny team in the Ford family that can hold its own at Daytona.
McDowell was in the mix even before the two Penske cars derailed the finish. His Ford was strong enough to push Keselowski, and McDowell figured with the checkered flag in sight, he would try to pass Keselowski as they exited the final turn.
Daytona 500 ends with massive, last-lap crashPenske Racing teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski are in the middle of a big wreck on the final lap of the Daytona 500, which results in a win for Michael McDowell.
Logano's block of Keselowski -- it seemed late, as Keselowski had already started to pull alongside his teammate -- triggered a fiery, multiple-car pileup that was in McDowell's rearview mirror.
"Brad was turning right, Joey was turning left and I went right through the middle,'' McDowell said. "It's just kind of a blur from there.''
Keselowski subtly blamed Logano for the messy finish.
"I wanted to make the pass to win the Daytona 500, and it ended up really bad,'' Keselowski said. "I don't feel like I made a mistake, but I can't drive everybody else's car. So frustrating.''
Logano had no explanation for the ending.
''Pandemonium, I guess. Chaos struck," said Logano, who then praised McDowell. "It's a real bummer that none of the Penske cars won, but at least a Ford won, and I'm really happy for McDowell.
"If we couldn't win, I'm really happy to see McDowell win this thing.''

Michael McDowell's victory in the Daytona 500 was his first in 358 career Cup Series starts. Jared C. Tilton/Getty ImagesMcDowell, who led less than half of a lap, drag raced Elliott and Austin Dillon, until NASCAR finally called a caution.
A batch of solid contenders were knocked from the race just 15 laps in by a 16-car accident that began at the front of the field. It thinned the pack and set up a showdown between Kevin Harvick and Hamlin.
Hamlin and Harvick had the two best cars, but pit strategy ended Hamlin's shot at winning a record third consecutive Daytona 500. The Ford drivers pitted first as a group, followed by the Chevrolets a lap later and finally the Toyotas.
But the Toyota group has just five cars, and they couldn't group back together to reclaim control of the race. It put Logano, Keselowski and the Ford drivers out front, and Logano led the final 25 laps, until Keselowski made his move.
McDowell held off Elliott and Dillon. Harvick finished fourth, and Hamlin was fifth after leading a race-high 98 laps.
Only 11 cars finished on the lead lap.

---

Cooper Webb used speed, timing, and race management to pull in his second win of the 2021 season. Photo Credit: Feld Entertainment, Inc.  ​

Cooper Webb Storms Orlando Supercross and Reclaims 450SX Class Momentum
Jett Lawrence Grabs Second 250SX Class Win

Zach Osborne grabbed the holeshot and had the speed to keep the pack behind him in the 450SX Class Main Event but a big mistake in the whoops allowed three riders to get by as he recovered. Muc-Off Honda's Justin Brayton took over the point position with Ken Roczen right on his rear tire. Roczen was coming off a three-win streak, but that only motivated Cooper Webb more; the KTM rider sat close in third. Just over three minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race, Webb positioned himself to pass both riders in a single corner. Like that, Webb had the lead with Roczen using the moment to get around Brayton even as he lost a spot to Webb.
 
Opening round winner Troy Lee Designs / Red Bull / GASGAS Factory Racing's Justin Barcia was soon past Brayton also, and the three riders rounded the track nearly in formation just slightly out of range for any of them to make a pass attempt. With just over five minutes left on the race clock Barcia had an incredible save in the whoops. He was thrown from his bike but managed to stay in touch long enough to jump back on without hitting the ground. Osborne took advantage of the mistake to take third spot – in the same section where he'd lost the race lead – and held it to the end despite a constant push from Barcia.
 
2020 defending champion Monster Energy Kawasaki's Eli Tomac had a tough night after a mid-pack start and rounding the first lap in 11th place. Tomac charged hard on the retro-track layout that commemorated the last time the series visited the venue and that event's battle between James Stewart and retiring 5-time champion Ricky Carmichael in his final Monster Energy Supercross race. At the 2021 running of Orlando, Tomac made steady progress forward and reached fifth by the checkered flag. 

JASON BELMONTE WINS SIXTH CAREER CHRIS SCHENKEL PBA PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Ties Earl Anthony for second-most Player of the Year Awards in PBA history

New York, NY – Australia’s Jason Belmonte was voted the 2020 Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year, announced today by PBA CEO Colie Edison and PBA commissioner Tom Clark on FloBowling. Belmonte received the vast majority of votes from PBA membership and veteran bowling writers, with Bill O’Neill coming in a distant second and Kris Prather third.
This is the second consecutive and sixth career Player of the Year Award for Belmonte, tying PBA Hall of Famer Earl Anthony for the second-most all-time POY awards. Only Walter Ray Williams Jr., with seven, has more.
“Being the Player of the Year is the highest honour a PBA player can have and I’m proud to own that title again,” said Belmonte. “It’s the ultimate reward for a year of dedication and travel and leaving loved ones. To equal the great Earl Anthony with six is amazing and something special to me.”
Belmonte, 37, won two major championships in 2020 to extend his PBA record to 13 career major victories. His win in the U.S. Open made him the second player in history, after Mike Aulby, to complete the Super Slam of all five major titles. In the final event before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a pause to the season, Belmonte won his third consecutive PBA World Championship.
With another groundbreaking year complete, Belmonte has set his goals even higher.
“I have my eyes firmly set on Walter Ray’s record of seven Player of the Year Awards and to continue to build my resume with major and national title wins,” said Belmonte. “More specifically the U.S. Open. Winning that event, a second time will see me holding the Super Slam twice. That would be amazing.”
After nearly seven months at home, Belmonte returned to the United States and won his third PBA Chameleon Championship for his 25th overall career title. Belmonte is now tied for 10th all-time with Hall of Famer Brian Voss. His three titles in 2020 were more than any other player aside from Kyle Troup, who also had three wins.
In the 13 events he entered, Belmonte finished in the top five eight times and led all players in both competition points, average (225.31) and earnings (a career-best $292,800). By qualifying for all four major championship finals telecasts, Belmonte became the first player in PBA history to advance to the championship finals in four majors in a single season for the third time, matching his accomplishments in 2019 and 2013. No other player has done so more than once.
Belmonte was chosen among seven other finalists: Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa.; Kris Prather of Plainfield, Ill.; Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill.; Mo.; Anthony Simonsen of Little Elm, Texas, Sweden’s Jesper Svensson, EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Ind., and Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, N.C.
Other 2020 PBA Tour award winners announced yesterday include Brad Miller, who was voted by his peers as the Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award winner, and PBA Hall of Famer Danny Wiseman, who earned the Tony Reyes Community Service Award for his dedication and efforts in supporting and growing youth bowling.

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$1 Million PBA Players Championship to Kick off New Season on FOX 
New York, NY – 

​Today, the Professional Bowlers Association announced the PBA Tour will begin its 2021 season with the $1 Million PBA Players Championship tournament starting the weekend of Jan. 15.
The Major event will kick off the long-awaited return of PBA Tour competition with a revolutionary new format and a record-setting $250K first place prize on the line.
For the first-time, the PBA is offering all its members the opportunity to compete for a Major Title by hosting five regional qualifying events that will take place simultaneously at different Bowlero locations around the country – Bowlero Christown in Phoenix, Ariz., AMF Garland Lanes in Garland, Texas, Bowlero Wauwatosa in Milwaukee, Wis., Bowlero West End in Richmond, Va., and AMF University Lanes in Tampa, Fla.
The top five players from each qualifying event will then advance to a series of five televised regional finals, all taking place at Bowlero Jupiter in Jupiter, Fla. beginning on Sunday Jan. 24 through February 14 on Fox Sports’ FS1. The culminating sixth telecast will feature the five regional winners competing in the Championship Finals live on FOX Broadcast Channel, Sunday, Feb. 21 at 12:30 EST.
The tentative TV schedule is as follows. Airtimes TBC and subject to change.
Jan. 24: PBA Players Championship West Region Finals, FS1
Jan. 31: PBA Players Championship Southwest Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 6: PBA Players Championship Central Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 7: PBA Players Championship East Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 14: PBA Players Championship South Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 21: PBA Players Championship Finals, FOX Broadcast Channel
Another highlight to the reinvented Players Championship – the $1 Million total prize fund with BIG prizes on the line for first to fifth place finishers – $250K, $130K, $80K, $60K, and $50K, given out respectively.
“We are thrilled to announce the return of the PBA Tour, launching our 2021 season with the re-imagined PBA Players Championship,” said Colie Edison, CEO of the PBA. “The new format gives our entire membership base an opportunity to safely participate, while competing with the Tour’s elite bowlers for a Major Title and life-changing prize money.”
With a new identity, the PBA Players Championship format will allow players to compete closer to home in regional qualifying locations to mitigate risks brought on by travel during the Covid-19 pandemic. Qualifying locations have been predetermined for players based on their current residence as follows.

• West: Bowlero Christown, Phoenix, Ariz.
• Southwest: AMF Garland Lanes, Garland, Texas
• Central: Bowlero Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, Wis.
• East: Bowlero West End, Richmond, Va.
• South: AMF University Lanes, Tampa, Fla.

The National Tour’s Top 75 players in 2020 points, Hall of Fame Recipients, and PBA Title Holders will have priority entry into their region’s PBA Players Championship qualifier from Thursday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. CST to Sunday, Dec. 20 at 11:59 p.m. CST.
$1 Million PBA Players Championship to Kick off New Season on FOX 
New York, NY – Today, the Professional Bowlers Association announced the PBA Tour will begin its 2021 season with the $1 Million PBA Players Championship tournament starting the weekend of Jan. 15.
The Major event will kick off the long-awaited return of PBA Tour competition with a revolutionary new format and a record-setting $250K first place prize on the line.
For the first-time, the PBA is offering all its members the opportunity to compete for a Major Title by hosting five regional qualifying events that will take place simultaneously at different Bowlero locations around the country – Bowlero Christown in Phoenix, Ariz., AMF Garland Lanes in Garland, Texas, Bowlero Wauwatosa in Milwaukee, Wis., Bowlero West End in Richmond, Va., and AMF University Lanes in Tampa, Fla.
The top five players from each qualifying event will then advance to a series of five televised regional finals, all taking place at Bowlero Jupiter in Jupiter, Fla. beginning on Sunday Jan. 24 through February 14 on Fox Sports’ FS1. The culminating sixth telecast will feature the five regional winners competing in the Championship Finals live on FOX Broadcast Channel, Sunday, Feb. 21 at 12:30 EST.
The tentative TV schedule is as follows. Airtimes TBC and subject to change.
Jan. 24: PBA Players Championship West Region Finals, FS1
Jan. 31: PBA Players Championship Southwest Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 6: PBA Players Championship Central Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 7: PBA Players Championship East Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 14: PBA Players Championship South Region Finals, FS1
Feb. 21: PBA Players Championship Finals, FOX Broadcast Channel
Another highlight to the reinvented Players Championship – the $1 Million total prize fund with BIG prizes on the line for first to fifth place finishers – $250K, $130K, $80K, $60K, and $50K, given out respectively.
“We are thrilled to announce the return of the PBA Tour, launching our 2021 season with the re-imagined PBA Players Championship,” said Colie Edison, CEO of the PBA. “The new format gives our entire membership base an opportunity to safely participate, while competing with the Tour’s elite bowlers for a Major Title and life-changing prize money.”
With a new identity, the PBA Players Championship format will allow players to compete closer to home in regional qualifying locations to mitigate risks brought on by travel during the Covid-19 pandemic. Qualifying locations have been predetermined for players based on their current residence as follows.

• West: Bowlero Christown, Phoenix, Ariz.
• Southwest: AMF Garland Lanes, Garland, Texas
• Central: Bowlero Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, Wis.
• East: Bowlero West End, Richmond, Va.
• South: AMF University Lanes, Tampa, Fla.

The National Tour’s Top 75 players in 2020 points, Hall of Fame Recipients, and PBA Title Holders will have priority entry into their region’s PBA Players Championship qualifier from Thursday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. CST to Sunday, Dec. 20 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

 Denny Hamlin outlasts Kyle Larson at Darlington to win the Southern 500

 By Nick Bromberg
     Denny Hamlin picked a great time for the first win of the season.
Hamlin won his first race of 2021 in the first race of the playoffs on Sunday night as he beat Kyle Larson to the checkered flag. The win advances Hamlin to the second round of the playoffs after he was beaten to the regular season title by Larson.
Larson caught Hamlin on the final lap and both drivers hit the wall. But Hamlin was able to keep his car ahead of Larson as they went toward the checkered flag.
- ADVERTISEMENT -Hamlin and Larson were the best drivers of the first 26 races. While Hamlin was really good, Larson was better. Hamlin was winless in the regular season while Larson won five times. 
Those five wins got Larson the regular-season title over Hamlin and the bonus points that came with it. But Hamlin entered the playoffs as a title threat despite the lack of wins. You're always a title threat when you have an average finish inside of the top 10. 
Larson will make the second round of the playoffs too. He had more than double the playoff points of any other driver and could lock himself into the second round as soon as next week's race at Richmond. Larson and Hamlin are two of the favorites to make the final four at Phoenix on Nov. 7. 
Hamlin was leading with less than 50 laps to go when Ryan Blaney spun. That brought out a caution and evened out the strategies that Hamlin and Larson were employing. Hamlin had the lead before Blaney's crash hoping to pit earlier than Larson on the final pit stop and maintain his track position for the win.
The caution ended the competing strategies and put everyone straight up. Larson got second from Ross Chastain on the restart but was never able to actually attempt a pass on Hamlin. 
Other playoff drivers have troubleThere were a bunch of playoff drivers who had problems at Darlington. Kyle Busch crashed. So did Michael McDowell. Chase Elliott missed pit road under caution and got a flat tire after the following restart when he was back in traffic. Alex Bowman hit the wall and collected teammate William Byron.
Busch was, unsurprisingly, unhappy after he hit the wall and crashed out of the race. He came down on Austin Dillon and found himself in the wall after his car got loose. Busch ended up finishing the race 35th out of 37 cars. 
Ross Chastain finished third while Martin Truex Jr. was fourth and Kevin Harvick was fifth. The sheer quantity of playoff drivers who had problems on Sunday night means that the playoff standings are still pretty straightforward heading into the second race of the second round at Richmond on Saturday.
Points standings1. Denny Hamlin (win)
2. Kyle Larson (+80 on 13th)
3. Martin Truex Jr. (+36)
4. Kurt Busch (+26)
5. Ryan Blaney (+22)
6. Joey Logano (+21)
7. Kevin Harvick (+20)
8. Brad Keselowski (+12)
9. Christopher Bell (+5)
10. Chase Elliott (+4)
11. Aric Almirola (+3)
12. Tyler Reddick (Tie)
13. Alex Bowman (Tie)
14. Kyle Busch (-2)
15. William Byron (-9)
16. Michael McDowell (-20)
Race results1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kyle Larson
3. Ross Chastain
4. Martin Truex Jr.
5. Kevin Harvick.

NASCAR's Kyle Larson on his 2021 season, the NASCAR playoffs and his rivalry with Chase Elliott

Ryan Blaney wins at MIS on late charge (Interview below highlights)

An Interview with: Ryan Blaney 
Q. No burnout because he said, I was so exhausted from the final few laps, I didn't have time to think about one. Maybe the hardest 10 laps you've driven in your life, Ryan?
RYAN BLANEY: Yeah, pretty close to it. Yeah, got a great push by the 18 on the restart, was able to get clear there. Michigan is a matter of pretty much running wide open and trying to play the air game. I hate you have to race that way. That's how you have to run. Worked out for us.
Man, I'm proud of everybody on the 12 team. Man, we weren't great to start the day off, kept working and working, got a lot better. It's so cool to get in Victory Lane for Ford here. This is such a huge win for Ford, Penske, Menards Cardell, Bodyarmor. I can't thank them enough, what they do. That was cool, man. I'm fired up. I'm fired up.
 
Q. After the first run of the day, if I told you, you were going to come back and win this thing, what would you have told me?
RYAN BLANEY: I'd tell you, you were crazy. We just worked on it a lot. We had our problems early. We took a lot of time to try to fix it. We got better and better. Picked a good lane on the restart there and got the push.
It was really the push. The 18 pushing me, that was the whole thing. I appreciate Kyle for pushing me through there. Thanks everybody for coming. Hope you enjoyed it.

AJ Allmendinger takes 3OT's to win at Michigan

It took AJ Allmendinger three times to outlast the field, but he took the third restart to the house and wins in the Xfinity Cup for the third time this season at the New Holland 250 at Michigan International Speedway. 
Cautions came both early and late at MIS and the Xfinity points series leader Daniel Hemric was a factor early in the race, but he was caught up in a multi-car accident on lap 41/125 and was retired by NASCAR as he had extensive damage to his car. 
Allmendinger was the class of the field early, he led most of the first stage, but Cindric held off all comers and won the ten bonus points the first stage awarded. 
Stage two found new leaders and a couple of cautions that took out several drivers including Cindric. 
Stage two was a quick stage as cautions and the stage one and two transition took up 15 of the 30 laps. 
A very impressive Ty Gibbs won the ARCA race at MIS on Friday evening, and led this youngster to two second place finishes in stages one and two, but a late brush with the wall left him off the leader board in a second overtime accident. 
Stage three saw multiple drivers in the lead. Allmendinger ran top five in the final stretch, but substitute driver Josh Berry grabbed the lead with an outside lane move the catapulted him past multiple drivers. Berry led twice for 24 laps in the race. He was never able to gain the momentum again in the overtimes and his fourth place finish was outstanding considering his late assignment. Justin Allgaier led three times in the race late for a total of nine laps, but he was caught in traffic and faded late. Brandon Jones and Noah Gregson finished second and third. They took advantage of late pit stops and the final restart to end up behind Allmendinger. Allmendinger's final restart was a thing of beauty. He pulled ahead and never looked back over the final two laps and cruised to his third victory of the season in the Xfinity series after adding his surprise win last weekend at the INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE NEWS AND NOTES:
AJ Allmendinger won the 29th Annual New Holland 250, his eighth victory in 49 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. This is his third victory and 15th top-10 finish in 2021. This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in his series debut at Michigan International Speedway. Brandon Jones (second) posted his fourth top-10 finish in five races at Michigan International Speedway. It is his 12th top-10 finish in 2021. Noah Gragson (third) posted his second top-10 finish in two races at Michigan International Speedway. Josh Berry (fourth) was the highest finishing rookie. This is Kaulig Racing's 11th victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Race Fast Facts Michigan International Speedway Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Saturday, 8/21/2021 @ 06:23 PM Eastern 29th Annual New Holland 250 Race Winner: AJ Allmendinger Age: 39 T

Benny Cook Keeps Lead, Wins 100th Michigan PGA Professional Championship at Prestwick Village

HIGHLAND – Benny Cook won the historic 100th Michigan PGA Professional Championship by four shots Wednesday at Prestwick Village Golf Club, but said he never felt comfortable.
  “I won by what, four shots, it was never that close,” he said. “I was grinding out there, and it was within two shots after 14 and it came close to being one shot after 15, and the golf course only firmed up and got a lot harder through the week. Today, I mean, there were some putts that were super slippery. I three-putted twice and I didn’t think I had bad putts.”
 Cook, a teaching professional from Yankee Springs Golf Course in Wayland, shot a final 1-under 71 for a 10-under 206, besting Kyle Dobbs of Walnut Creek Country Club by four shots. Dobbs closed with a 72, just missing birdie on the par 5 15th, and then making bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 as Cook parred his way through the final holes.
  Three golfers tied for third at 211; Chad Kurmel of Forest Akers West at Michigan State University, who shot 70, Christopher Sullivan, a sales representative for Sun Mountain, who shot 71, and Tim Pearce of Birmingham Country Club, who shot 73.
  Five-time champion Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy shot 68 for 213, and Kosta Ramirez of Treetops Resort shot 74 for 214 to round out the seven golfers who finished under par on the firm and fast Prestwick course.
  Cook, who will have his name put on the Gilbert A. Currie Trophy for the second consecutive year, took home the $7,000 first-place check and will receive a sponsor’s exemption into the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic next summer at Detroit Golf Club.
  “Playing the Rocket will be sweet,” he said. “It’s awesome to win again. I’m happy I played well. The course was very challenging and I felt like I did all right. It’s hard to win on any stage. If Kyle makes his (birdie) putt on 15 who knows what happens? I’m just happy I made a couple good pars coming in and pulled it off.”
   Cook, because of his status on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica and his low club professional finish in the PGA Championship earlier this year at Kiawah Island, S.C., is exempt through the first stage of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying. He will go to second stage in October.
  “It’s good momentum for sure,” he said. “Winning on a tough course like this against a great field, it helped me get better.”
  Dobbs, 46 and a Michigan native who returned to the state from Cape Cod, Mass., to work at Walnut Creek, said his game wasn’t sharp enough to catch Cook.
  “I don’t practice and play much anymore, so I just kind of come out and see if I can find it for the week,” he said. “This week I put a few things together even though I wasn’t as sharp as I wanted to be. I gave (Cook) my best, and he’s obviously a really good player. I knew my mistakes had to be minimal because he doesn’t give anything back.”
  The low nine golfers in the championship besides Cook, Scott Hebert of Traverse City Golf & Country Club, Roth, Pearce and Cody Haughton of Red Run Golf Club who are already exempt, earned spots in the 2022 PGA Professional National Championship next April at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas. The low 20 finishers from that national club pro championship move on to play with the best players in the world at next year’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.
  Those securing one of the nine spots; Dobbs, Kurmel, Sullivan, Ramirez, Frank McAuliffe of Meadowbrook Country Club, Jim Dieters of Midland Country Club, Kyle Martin of Lochmoor Club, Scott Brotebeck of Flint Golf Club and Travis Dodson of Meadowbrook Country Club.
   The historic 100th Michigan PGA Professional Championship was presented by Cadillac, ROLEX and Club Car with supporting sponsors Nike, TaylorMade, Titleist/Footjoy, the Golf Channel and the PGA Tour.

Andrew Anderson Wins PBA Strike Derby Presented by Pabst Blue Ribbon Defeats Anthony Simonsen in the championship match

Portland, Maine—Andrew Anderson out-struck 11 other PBA players to win the 2021 PBA Strike Derby presented by Pabst Blue Ribbon at Bayside Bowl, defeating Anthony Simonsen in the championship match. Anderson, the 2018 PBA Player of the Year, won in his PBA Strike Derby debut as Simonsen was the runner-up for the second straight year.
 
“I knew, against Simo, I would need to throw as many as I could,” said Anderson. “I knew he was going to get more shots off than me, so I had to make better shots. That’s all I could think about.”
 
Simonsen, the higher seed, chose to have Anderson bowl first. In two minutes, Anderson struck 11 times. Simonsen was unable to catch the total, striking nine times to finish second.
 
“My goal was to get 18 shots off every round,” said Anderson. “I did a couple practices and I could get to 20 shots, but they weren’t quality. Eighteen was the most I could get and still have enough good shots. I got some breaks along the way, but the energy from the crowd kept me going.”
 In each round of the PBA Strike Derby, players were given two minutes to strike as many times as possible. After all 12 players had a turn in the qualifying round, the top six advanced to the match play bracket.
 Anderson qualified as the No. 5 seed. He, along with four others, rolled nine strikes in the qualifying round, tying for fourth. Ties were broken first by longest string of strikes, then by fastest ball speed, leaving Kyle Troup, Anderson and Wes Malott inside the cut to the top six for match play. EJ Tackett and Sean Rash fell outside.
 
“I feel like this is my environment,” said Anderson. “When I grew up, I just rapid-fired shots. I tend to thrive in these types of situations. I love it.”
 
In head-to-head match play, Anderson put up 12 strikes to eliminate Troup, who managed five strikes. In the semifinals, Anderson defeated top seed Norm Duke, 8-4, to advance to the championship match with Simonsen.
 
“I just feel comfortable here,” said Anderson. “I bowl well in this building, my ball strikes quite a bit here and I threw a lot of messengers. I’m not really known for throwing a lot of pins around, but I felt like Troup and Simo a little bit today. It was awesome. What a fun time.”
 
Viewers can live stream the PBA on the FOX Sports and FOX NOW apps or at FOXSports.com. Select highlights will be available on @FOXSports social handles across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. International fans can watch live on FloBowling.com.
 
PBA Strike Derby Presented by Pabst Blue Ribbon Results
Bayside Bowl – Portland, Maine
 
Qualifying

1. Norm Duke, 11
2. Packy Hanrahan, 10 (5)
3. Anthony Simonsen, 10 (4)
4. Kyle Troup, 9 (4, 19.7 MPH)
5. Andrew Anderson, 9 (4, 19.0 MPH)
6. Wes Malott, 9 (4, 18.6 MPH)
7. EJ Tackett, 9 (3)
8. Sean Rash, 9 (2)
9. Jesper Svensson, 8
10. Tom Smallwood, 7
11. Kris Prather, 7
12. Marshall Kent, 6

 
Ties were broken first by longest string of strikes, then fastest single ball thrown during the round (in parentheses where applicable).
 Match Play
No. 5 Andrew Anderson def. No. 4 Kyle Troup, 12-5
No. 3 Anthony Simonsen def. No. 6 Wes Malott, 10-6
 Semifinals
No. 5 Andrew Anderson def. No. 1 Norm Duke, 8-4
No. 3 Anthony Simonsen def. No. 2 Packy Hanrahan, 10-6
 Championship Match
No. 5 Andrew Anderson def. No. 3 Anthony Simonsen, 11-9

Chase Elliott adds a second win in 2021, captures Cup Series race at Road America

Chase Elliott’s car wasn’t quite where it needed to be ahead of NASCAR’s Cup race at Road America. Elliott said that the No. 9 team was “still searching” following Sunday’s qualifying session in which time ran out before Elliott could run his fastest lap.
But that didn’t matter by the end of the race when Elliott was sitting comfortably in the lead, nearly six seconds ahead of second place finisher Christopher Bell and driving to his second win this season. Kyle Busch finished third.
“We’ve had a rough few weeks, so it feels really good,” Elliott said on NBC after a smoke-raising burnout he completed for fans on the frontstretch.
- ADVERTISEMENT -The defending Cup champion and NASCAR’s most popular driver then thrilled fans with another burnout near Turn 5 of the 14-turn course near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. He said he was surprised by the support since he’s only run a handful of lower-level races in the state.
“It’s exciting when we change the schedule up and go to new places,” Elliott said. “You bring energy and excitement that our series deserves to have.”
The Cup Series made a long-awaited return to the track on Sunday. The last race for NASCAR’s top drivers at Road America was in 1956, but the sanctioning body laid out its 2021 schedule with the goal of mixing it up and spreading the wealth to different venues. Elliott’s victory clearly struck a chord with fans, but it wasn’t one he expected early in the race.
He started in the bottom 10, but was up to 10th place by the end of the first stage — a promising sign for the defending road course winner. In the final 20 laps, he was leading and said he didn’t need any more adjustments, just tires and fuel. Elliott pitted when a late-race caution came out, and even though he didn’t line up in the front row for the restart, his Chevy quickly got up to first place passing Aric Almirola and Busch.
The No. 9 then remained in the lead for the final 17 laps despite contact between Hendrick Motorsports teammates with five laps to go. Alex Bowman’s car had a brake issue and he sent Kyle Larson for a spin, but fortunately for Elliott, Larson was able to get straightened out without NASCAR throwing a caution. Elliott took the checkered flag then catered to the Fourth of July crowd.

Anthony Simonsen Wins PBA Tour Finals for Eighth Career PBA Tour Title

Defeats Kyle Troup in the title match to avenge loss in last year’s PBA Tour Finals


Allen Park, Mich.—Anthony Simonsen won the race-to-two-points championship match, 2-1, over Kyle Troup to win the 2021 PBA Tour Finals as Simonsen’s eighth career Guaranteed Rate PBA Tour title. In a rematch of last season’s PBA Tour Finals title match, Simonsen avenged his 2020 loss and claimed his first title since he won twice in 2019.
 
“I wanted to get out and bowl well,” said Simonsen. “If you bowl well and you lose, it’s a little easier to accept than when you bowl badly and lose. I was able to just bowl today and not have to manipulate everything.”
 
In the race-to-two points format, Troup took the first game and Simonsen responded with a 279 in game two to force a ninth-and-10th-frame roll-off.
 
“We’re bowling two games for a reason in this format,” said Simonsen. “I wanted to get myself lined up and find a clear mindset going into the next game. Once I got into a rhythm, it was on from there.”
 
Simonsen, the higher seed, elected to have Troup start the roll-off. Troup struck. Simonsen spared and then filled the 10th with three strikes, forcing Troup to get two strikes and a single pin to win. Troup struck on his first shot but left a 10 pin on the second shot, giving Simonsen his eighth career title.
 
“My double in the 10th was huge,” said Simonsen. “Making him have to get up and double on a lane that didn’t seem like any of us were super comfortable on. He made two really good shots, but the 10 pin is hard to knock over.”
 
Simonsen and Troup made it to the championship match by winning their respective groups during yesterday’s four-game qualifying block, then surviving the group stepladder finals earlier today.
 
Simonsen led Group 2 into the stepladder, then defeated Kris Prather in a roll-off in the Group 2 final match to advance to the championship against Troup.
 
Troup qualified as the second seed after four games of qualifying, then defeated Chris Via in a single game and Bill O’Neill in a roll-off to win the Group 1 stepladder and get to the championship match.
 
In the opening match of the Group 1 stepladder, Chris Via rolled the 32nd televised 300 game in a PBA Tour title event, knocking out two-time PBA Tour Finals champion EJ Tackett. Via, who joined Sean Rash and François Lavoie as the only players in PBA history to roll two televised perfect games in title events, also became the first player ever to bowl two televised perfect games in the same season, having rolled his first during the PBA Players Championship East Region Finals earlier this year. Via received a $10,000 bonus for the feat.
 
PBA Tour Finals Results
Thunderbowl Lanes – Allen Park, Mich.
 
Saturday, June 26 – Group 1 Qualifying

1. Bill O’Neill, 1,062 (201, 235, 237, 239 plus 150 bonus pins)
2. Kyle Troup, 997 (258, 212, 214, 213 plus 100 bonus pins)
3. Chris Via, 869 (182, 183, 238, 206 plus 60 bonus pins)
4. EJ Tackett, 804 (151, 192, 220, 211 plus 30 bonus pins)

 Saturday, June 26 – Group 2 Qualifying

1. Anthony Simonsen, 1,079 (289, 227, 249, 219 plus 95 bonus pins)
2. Kris Prather, 1,068 (234, 239, 227, 258 plus 110 bonus pins)
3. Jesper Svensson, 1,041 (231, 279, 203, 243 plus 85 bonus pins)
4. François Lavoie, 945 (215, 204, 260, 216 plus 50 bonus pins)

Lions defensive line moving up in several rankings

Jeff Risdon
Thu, June 17, 2021, 7:58 AMThe Detroit Lions defensive line has not been a source of pride in the last couple of seasons. However, some smart additions and a new scheme have the unit pointing up for 2021.
In its latest positional rankings, Pro Football Focus placed the Lions defensive line at No. 24 overall. While that might still seem low, Detroit finished last year at No. 30 in PFF’s grading. The reason for the bump comes in the comments highlighting several of the new additions to the unit,
Detroit’s defensive line unit finished the 2020 season ranked 30th in PFF grade, ahead of only the Vikings and Texans. Several offseason additions on the interior — such as Michael Brockers, Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill — along with the return of a healthy Trey Flowers should improve matters in 2021, but the Lions still have a ways to go to get back to average.
The Lions fare a little better at FTN, where former Lions analyst Brett Whitefield ranked Detroit with the 19th-best DL. FTN’s rankings are more geared for fantasy football, but the expected bump in production would certainly count as real progress in the overall play of the new-look defensive front.
Finally, Michael Nania at Jets X-Factor combined some analytical data and projections and ranked the Lions at No. 24. Interestingly, the run defense fares quite well in this metric.

Kyle Larson dominates at Charlotte. Hendrick breaks Petty's owner win record

Larson won Sunday night's All-Star Race ahead of Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott at Texas Motor Speedway. The win doesn't officially count for Cup Series points, but it's Larson's third consecutive win after he won the Coca-Cola 600 and at Sonoma a week ago.
Larson started first on Sunday night via random draw and appeared to have the best car for most of the race. He went three-wide around Elliott, his teammate, and Team Penske's Keselowski right after the restart of the 10-lap final stage and was able to pass Keselowski for the lead on the next lap with eight laps to go.
While Keselowski was able to stay on Larson's bumper, Larson kept him at bay over the final few miles of the race.
"Did not imagine seeing myself winning this race today," Larson said after the race.
Larson isn't the Cup Series points leader, but he's been the fastest driver in the series — by far — over the last two months. It's a remarkable turnaround for a driver who was out of NASCAR a year ago after he said a racial slur during a virtual race and got fired from his ride at Chip Ganassi Racing.
That firing led to a second chance at Hendrick Motorsports and Larson has made the most of it. Hendrick has been incredibly strong — all four drivers have at least one win — and Larson has been the strongest of the bunch.
Keselowski finished second, while Elliott was third.
"Just to run second to the Hendrick cars right now is kind of an accomplishment," Keselowski said. "They're just stupid fast."
Keselowski's teammates, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, were fourth and fifth. Hendrick's Alex Bowman and William Byron then finished sixth and seventh.

Willie Mack III and Davis Thompson Receive Sponsor Exemptions for Rocket Mortgage Classic

• Mack III is a Flint, Mich. native and the 2011 Michigan Amateur champion; Thompson is a University of Georgia senior ranked fourth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

 

• General admission tickets go on sale May 27 for competition rounds Thursday, July 1–Sunday, July 4 and the Delta Dental Pro-Am at the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Wednesday, June 30.

DETROIT (May 19, 2021) – Willie Mack III, a native of Flint, Mich., and Davis Thompson, the fourth ranked amateur golfer in the world, have accepted sponsor exemptions to compete in this year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, which will be played at the historic Detroit Golf Club June 28-July 4.
 
For Mack III, he will realize a lifelong dream when he tees it up this summer in his home state’s PGA TOUR event. He made his PGA TOUR debut earlier this year when he received sponsor exemptions to play in the Farmers Insurance Open and the Genesis Invitational. He was awarded the Genesis Invitational’s Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption, which represents advancement of diversity in the game of golf.
 
Thompson, a University of Georgia senior, has made three previous PGA TOUR starts, and also qualified to play in the 2020 U.S. Open via his amateur ranking. The Saint Simons Island, Georgia native posted a 2-1-1 record in 2020 while competing for the United States in the Palmer Cup and was named a first-team All-American by PING and the Golf Coaches Association of America.
 
“The Rocket Mortgage Classic has always strived to support golf’s great young talent, and we are pleased to award these opportunities to Willie and Davis,” said Jason Langwell, Executive Director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. “Willie has a successful track record on the mini-tour circuit and considers Detroit Golf Club a home course, so will certainly have plenty of local support. Davis has represented the United States at golf’s highest amateur levels and surely will have a bright future in professional golf.”
 
Mack III and Thompson will join reigning Rocket Mortgage Classic champion and 2020 U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau in the 2021 tournament field along with fellow major championship winners Jason Day and Bubba Watson, as well as fan favorites Rickie Fowler and Harold Varner III. The tournament will feature 156 players competing for a total purse of $7.5 million and a winner’s prize of $1.35 million.
 
In addition to Mack III and Thompson, one additional sponsor exemption for the Rocket Mortgage Classic will be announced prior to the tournament. A fourth will be granted to the men’s winner of THE JOHN SHIPPEN, a 36-hole stroke-play invitational for Black golfers June 27-28 at Detroit Golf Club.
 
In 2011, Mack III earned his greatest golfing achievement, becoming the first African-American player to win the Michigan Amateur Championship. He enjoyed other amateur victories at the Flint City Amateur and the Genesee All-Star Golf Classic. Mack III began his high school career at Flint Central before transferring to Grand Blanc, where he was an All-State player who helped the Bobcats win 2004 Division I state championship.
 
“As a young man who grew up nearby in Flint, my father and I attended the Buick Open at Warwick Hills to watch Tiger Woods and other players compete at the highest level for many years,” said Mack III, an honorary member of Detroit Golf Club. “Playing in the Rocket Mortgage Classic will be extremely meaningful to me because my father still lives in Michigan and will be able to watch me play on the PGA TOUR now. I am well aware of everything the Rocket Mortgage Classic is doing as part of the event’s Changing the Course initiative. The more I pursue my dream of reaching the PGA TOUR, the more I learn and want to push toward another dream of helping create more equality and diversity in the game I love.”
 Thompson has previously ranked as the world’s top amateur golfer and recently placed third individually at the 2021 SEC Championship representing the University of Georgia as its captain. Over the past two years, he has racked up five amateur wins and 18 top-10 finishes.
 “I am very appreciative of the Rocket Mortgage Classic for extending this sponsor exemption and excited to compete in this event for the first time against a great field,” Thompson said. “As I look to establish myself as a professional and earn status, these types of opportunities will prove invaluable in terms of the experience I will gain. I can’t wait to tee it up in Detroit this July.”

• Mack III is a Flint, Mich. native and the 2011 Michigan Amateur champion; Thompson is a University of Georgia senior ranked fourth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

 

• General admission tickets go on sale May 27 for competition rounds Thursday, July 1–Sunday, July 4 and the Delta Dental Pro-Am at the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Wednesday, June 30.

DETROIT (May 19, 2021) – Willie Mack III, a native of Flint, Mich., and Davis Thompson, the fourth ranked amateur golfer in the world, have accepted sponsor exemptions to compete in this year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, which will be played at the historic Detroit Golf Club June 28-July 4.
 
For Mack III, he will realize a lifelong dream when he tees it up this summer in his home state’s PGA TOUR event. He made his PGA TOUR debut earlier this year when he received sponsor exemptions to play in the Farmers Insurance Open and the Genesis Invitational. He was awarded the Genesis Invitational’s Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption, which represents advancement of diversity in the game of golf.
 
Thompson, a University of Georgia senior, has made three previous PGA TOUR starts, and also qualified to play in the 2020 U.S. Open via his amateur ranking. The Saint Simons Island, Georgia native posted a 2-1-1 record in 2020 while competing for the United States in the Palmer Cup and was named a first-team All-American by PING and the Golf Coaches Association of America.
 
“The Rocket Mortgage Classic has always strived to support golf’s great young talent, and we are pleased to award these opportunities to Willie and Davis,” said Jason Langwell, Executive Director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. “Willie has a successful track record on the mini-tour circuit and considers Detroit Golf Club a home course, so will certainly have plenty of local support. Davis has represented the United States at golf’s highest amateur levels and surely will have a bright future in professional golf.”
 
Mack III and Thompson will join reigning Rocket Mortgage Classic champion and 2020 U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau in the 2021 tournament field along with fellow major championship winners Jason Day and Bubba Watson, as well as fan favorites Rickie Fowler and Harold Varner III. The tournament will feature 156 players competing for a total purse of $7.5 million and a winner’s prize of $1.35 million.
 
In addition to Mack III and Thompson, one additional sponsor exemption for the Rocket Mortgage Classic will be announced prior to the tournament. A fourth will be granted to the men’s winner of THE JOHN SHIPPEN, a 36-hole stroke-play invitational for Black golfers June 27-28 at Detroit Golf Club.
 
In 2011, Mack III earned his greatest golfing achievement, becoming the first African-American player to win the Michigan Amateur Championship. He enjoyed other amateur victories at the Flint City Amateur and the Genesee All-Star Golf Classic. Mack III began his high school career at Flint Central before transferring to Grand Blanc, where he was an All-State player who helped the Bobcats win 2004 Division I state championship.
 
“As a young man who grew up nearby in Flint, my father and I attended the Buick Open at Warwick Hills to watch Tiger Woods and other players compete at the highest level for many years,” said Mack III, an honorary member of Detroit Golf Club. “Playing in the Rocket Mortgage Classic will be extremely meaningful to me because my father still lives in Michigan and will be able to watch me play on the PGA TOUR now. I am well aware of everything the Rocket Mortgage Classic is doing as part of the event’s Changing the Course initiative. The more I pursue my dream of reaching the PGA TOUR, the more I learn and want to push toward another dream of helping create more equality and diversity in the game I love.”
 
Thompson has previously ranked as the world’s top amateur golfer and recently placed third individually at the 2021 SEC Championship representing the University of Georgia as its captain. Over the past two years, he has racked up five amateur wins and 18 top-10 finishes.
 
“I am very appreciative of the Rocket Mortgage Classic for extending this sponsor exemption and excited to compete in this event for the first time against a great field,” Thompson said. “As I look to establish myself as a professional and earn status, these types of opportunities will prove invaluable in terms of the experience I will gain. I can’t wait to tee it up in Detroit this July.”

Rochester Hills' Brad Keselowski claims 6th win at Talladega with overtime pass​

By John Zenor
Associated Press
 Ala. — Brad Keselowski made exactly the right final move this time, winning again at Talladega Superspeedway and demonstrating a painful lesson well learned.
Keselowski's overtime victory made him the ninth driver to win through 10 NASCAR Cup races this season and avenged an embarrassing Team Penske gaffe in the season-opening Daytona 500. He and teammate Joey Logano triggered a last-lap crash as Keselowski tried to pass Logano for the victory.
“Daytona, that’s a big one. Oh man, it stings still,” Keselowski said. "But this is a good one. We’ll take it. Beggars can’t be choosers. I certainly learned some lessons from that race and I tried to apply them, and it all came together there at the end.
“Michael McDowell gave me a good push like he did at Daytona, and I was a little bit smarter with how I handled it.”
Keselowski led just one lap, the last one, in a race that featured 35 lead changes among 27 drivers.
“The whole race I had a couple opportunities to take the lead, but I just kept thinking, ‘Man, keep your car in one piece,'" Keselowski said.
Logano was involved in an airborne wreck and called on NASCAR to change the dangerous racing conditions at Daytona and Talladega.
“On one hand, I am mad about being in the crash and on the other, I am happy to be alive,” Logano said. “On another hand, I am wondering when we are going to stop because this is dangerous doing what we are doing. I got a roll bar in my head. That is not OK.
"I am one hit away from the same situation Ryan Newman just went through. I just don’t feel like that is acceptable.”
Get the Detroit News Sports newsletter in your inbox.Lions, Tigers and more. Our sports team keeps you informed about yours.
Delivery: Daily
Your EmailNewman escaped serious injury racing for the win on the final lap of the 2020 Daytona 500.
The victory, Keselowski's sixth at Talladega, came after team owner Roger Penske pulled the three Team Penske drivers and affiliate Matt DiBenedetto onto a call this week to discuss his expectations on how they should race Sunday. Penske refused to accept another Daytona disaster when Logano or Keselowski should have won the race but instead of working together the two triggered a fiery crash that also collected a third Penske car.
All three Penske drivers have now claimed spots in the 16-driver playoff field.
William Byron was second, Daytona 500 winner McDowell — the beneficiary of that February blunder — took third and Kevin Harvick a season-high fourth.
“I felt like I was in a good spot again working with Brad and drug back off of him coming off of Turn 4,” McDowell said. “I thought I would have the run but just didn’t suck him down enough.”
DiBenedetto, who led 28 laps, finished fifth but gave away the win with a late lane change that allowed Keselowski to surge to the front.
Ford drivers took four of the top five spots.
Kaz Grala finished a career-best sixth and was followed by Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon in a trio of Chevrolets.
Ford drivers took spots nine through 13 and the highest finishing Toyota driver was Christopher Bell in 17th.
Keselowski tied Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon with six wins each at Talladega. But it was his first since the fall race in 2017.
“I would have never dreamed I’d tie Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. here,” Keselowski said. “That’s something. Those guys are really legends.”

By Mark Martin- 
Aaron Lorincz of Center Line won the Metro Detroit USBC (MDUSBC) Men's Series event Sunday with a 257-183 victory over Conner Weber of Wayne at
Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park. Lorincz took home the top prize of $500, while Weber settled for $250. Lorincz qualified third in the field of 58, with a four-game total of 835 on
games of 163, 190, 233 and 249. In match play, he beat Christopher Dunson of Ortonville 196-174, Mark Milasinovich of Shelby Township 217-208 and Ryan 
Land of Royal Oak 184-172 to advance to the championship match.
Weber qualified 13th with 769. In match play, he beat Michael Lucente of Warren 213-192, Mark Meinema of Zeeland 213-203 and top seed Ryan Witucki of Hazel Park 213-189 on his way to the finals.
Ryan Land took over the season long cup list with 485 points, closely followed by Stephen Krywy of Sterling Heights (478) and Michael McCleskey

(443) of Southfield. The next event will be triple points at Century Bowl in 
Waterford on April 11.

After the competition Lorincz defeated Women's Series winner Julia Huren of

Westland 246-204 in the Battle of the Series for $100 "cold cash" and bragging rights. This gives the men a 4-3 advantage over the women in this 
extra competition.

Martin Truex Jr. pulls off first NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway

By Holly Cain
​Martin Truex Jr. overcame an early-race brush with the wall and took the lead on the final restart with 25 laps remaining to earn his first victory of 2021 and first in 31 career starts at Phoenix Raceway.
Truex‘s No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota ultimately held off Joey Logano‘s No. 22 Penske Racing Ford by a convincing 1.698-seconds for the win in the Instacart 500. The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Truex took the race lead from the outside on a bold restart move — pulling away in the closing laps of a spirited race that featured 22 lead changes.
Truex, 40, of New Jersey, is now the fifth different winner in as many NASCAR Cup Series races this season joining Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell, William Byron and Kyle Larson who have also earned spots in the playoffs.

“Just an awesome job by everybody, (crew chief) James (Small), all the pit crew guys fixing it, just really solid,” said Truex, who now has 28 career wins. “At the beginning of the race I thought we were going to run 15th or so. Man, I just really can‘t believe it. I‘m kind of speechless.
“This feels pretty amazing. Phoenix has been a tough one for us.
“I wish it was November and I was in the final four,” he added with a smile, referring to the season championship finale at Phoenix Raceway later in the year. “Just so thankful and proud of everyone at JGR, everyone who makes this possible.”

Statistically, Logano‘s Ford was the dominant car on the afternoon, leading a race best 143 of the 312 laps and winning Stage 2 — his first stage win of the year. His Penske teammate Ryan Blaney won Stage 1 (also his first stage victory of 2021) and all three Penske Racing cars finished in the top 10. In all, the Penske trio of Logano, Blaney and Keselowski combined to lead 197 laps — out front 63 percent of the day.
Logano started alongside Truex on the front row for the final restart and mounted a challenge for the lead, but he couldn‘t hold off Truex even with a more favorable inside starting position.
“I was surprised he was able to hang with me on that (final) start,” a disappointed Logano conceded of Truex‘s winning move. “He had a good start, too, but I had a good one on the bottom and I thought might have short-cut it on the dogleg and I thought, boy I might have him cleared. Then we went into that corner still door-to-door and when you‘re door-to-door, the outside car has control.
“I‘m pretty sure even if I beat him even on that start he was still going to hound me and probably get by me. They had the best car. We had a good car for sure, but once they tuned it in toward the second stage, it was the best car on the race track.”
RELATED: Joey Logano says second place ‘hurts’
Truex‘s JGR teammate Denny Hamlin was third, followed by Logano‘s teammate Brad Keselowski and last November‘s Phoenix winner Chase Elliott in fifth.
Kevin Harvick, a nine-time Phoenix winner, was sixth, earning his fourth top-10 finish in the season‘s opening five races. Last week‘s Las Vegas winner Kyle Larson was seventh, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron was eighth followed by JGR driver Christopher Bell and Blaney to round out the top 10.
Even without the victory, it was an impressive showing for the three Hendrick Motorsports cars that rallied to top-10 finishes. Elliott, Larson and Byron all had to start from the rear of the field on Sunday. And the fourth Hendrick car, driven by Alex Bowman, was equally resilient with a 13th place finish despite hitting the wall and bringing out an early race caution flag.
RELATED: Early trouble for Alex Bowman at Phoenix
Larson, in particular put on a lesson in resiliency. He rallied to race among the top 10 — even lead a lap — a third of the way into the race but was sent back to the rear of the lead lap cars twice after that because of pit road speeding violations.
Hamlin, Keselowski and Logano — all still looking for their first 2021 wins — are 1-2-3 in the championship standings with Hamlin holding a 39-point edge over Keselowski as the series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for next weekend‘s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Note: The race winning No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Martin Truex Jr. passed NASCAR‘s post-race technical inspection. The No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet (Kurt Busch), the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Kyle Busch) and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet (William Byron) all had one lug nut safe and secure, while the No. 2 Team Penske Ford (Brad Keselowski) and the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Team Chevrolet (Daniel Suarez) had two lug nuts not safe and secure.

Tom Daugherty Wins First Major Title in Guaranteed Rate PBA World Championship Defeats Jakob Butturff in the championship match to win $100,000

Tampa, Fla.—No. 1 seed Tom Daugherty rolled a 263 game in the title match to win the Guaranteed Rate PBA World Championship for his third career PBA Tour title and first major. In the highest scoring match of the stepladder finals, Daugherty and third seed Jakob Butturff combined to roll 18 strikes, 10 of which belonged to Daugherty on the way to a six-pin margin of victory.
      “To shoot 260 to win a major is just awesome,” said Daugherty, whose most recent title came in the 2016 PBA Wolf Open. “I felt a little snake bitten on TV. I knew I needed to keep getting there to give myself more opportunities. Finally, I broke through with one.”
 The first to finish the match, Daugherty needed two strikes and four pins in the 10th frame to shut out Butturff and clinch victory. His first strike was exactly what he wanted to do. The next one, he admits, required luck as he rolled the 2 pin to strike and, after a nine count on the fill ball, ultimately win.
      “You always want to shut your guy out,” said Daugherty. “Getting the first one was key and I threw the best shot I possibly could. I aced it. I lost control of the second one. I realized it was the moment that would make me a major champion and everything started to speed up. It was my worst shot of the match, but I had the right ball in the right part of the lane and I got lucky.”
     Daugherty’s second strike in the 10th frame was his ninth consecutive strike of the match. Butturff bowled a clean game and rolled the back seven strikes in an effort to win his second major, but fell six pins short.
       Tuesday and Wednesday, Daugherty will compete in match play for the PBA Chameleon Championship and PBA Scorpion Championship, giving him two more opportunities to win at the World Series in his native Tampa.
 “I get to bowl in my hometown in one of my favorite centers,” said Daugherty. “I’m going to try to make the most of it.”
 Guaranteed Rate PBA World Championship Final Standings
AMF University Lanes – Tampa, Fla.
Tom Daugherty, earns $100,000

1. Jakob Butturff, $50,000
2. EJ Tackett, $35,000
3. Chris Via, $25,000
4. Kyle Troup, $20,000

 Match Scores
Match 1 – No. 4 Via def. No. 5 Troup, 210-201
Match 2 – No. 3 Butturff def. No. 4 Via, 249-227
Match 3 – No. 3 Butturff def. No. 2 Tackett, 210-178
Match 4 – No. 1 Daugherty def. No. 3 Butturff, 263-257

Francois Lavoie beats three two-handers in PBA takedown at KIA Tournament of Champions​ 

      The PBA Tournament of Champions being held near Miami had all the makings of a star-studded field making the finals, but started off curiously. Sean Rash, one of the top players on Tour today, literally could not find the pocket against Francois Lovoie striking on the Brooklyn side multiple times. Francois also had his struggles stringing strikes together, but his 3 bagger from frames five through seven dusted the wayward Rash.  PBA Hall of Famer and current color commentator Randy Pederson said Rash got ball reaction like his shot had a runny nose. I agree with Pederson as Rash’s hitting power was weak and off the mark. 
It is refreshing watching the classic bowling Lovoie roll like the PBA pros of the past. His ball rotation is supurb although his release is sketchy. Worked against Rash.
Jesper Svensson is one of the great talents on the current PBA Tour and this lefty has the highest rev rate on tour and with a clean left side to work with, this powerful lefty was poised to roll through the field.
     Lavoie found out what Rash tried to avoid in game two. The oil pattern was tricky and either left right handers throwing through the nose or washing out and his opening frame six pin split left him wondering if he could find the mark. His 5th frame late knockout of a pesky nine pin gave him his first double which he extended to five consecutive strikes. Svensson used a tv break to talk to his Storm ball rep and the rep told him to “stop thinking so much and roll the ball.” Well, it worked.
Lavoie, not to be outdone, finished with eight strikes in nine frames while Svensson left a split in the tenth and concluded his day with a 236-201 loss.
Jason Belmonte’s record in PBA majors is unquestioned in today’s PBA. This two-hander has made every top five since 2012 save one (7th in 2017). He has the ability to pound the pocket from anywhere on the lanes and his string of strikes ( a double) in frames three and four opened the match except Belmo could not convert a 3-10 split in frame five and Lavoie saw an open door. His major 1-2-3-6-10 washout left three pins on his spare attempt. But Belmonte could never get it going. He never doubled the rest of the match and Lavoie dug deep.
Anthony Simonsen finished 5th last week and this week did not look much better as he opened in the third with the 8-10 split. Lavoie looked to dust off the field with his third major title. For Simonsen, he played second arrow and it di not work for him. He played a change of the 5th arrow and plenty of loft and it made all the world of difference for him. His 8th frame 3-4-6-8-9-10 count and chop left him a second-place finish. Lavoie beat three two hand bowlers in a row at their own games. When a player can bowl methodical and take out Rash, Belmonte and Simonsen, it shows classic bowlers can still bring it home. His third major title gives him a chance at the super slam after the major season is over and nets him 100k. 
Kia PBA Tournament of Champions Final Standings
Bowlero Jupiter – Jupiter, Fla.
 1. François Lavoie, earns $100,000
2.Anthony Simonsen, $60,000
3.Jason Belmonte, $45,000
4. Jesper Svensson, $40,000
5. Sean Rash, $35,000 Match Scores
Match 1 – No. 5 Lavoie def. No. 4 Rash, 225-209
Match 2 – No. 5 Lavoie def. No. 3 Svensson, 236-201
Match 3 – No. 5 Lavoie def. No. 2 Belmonte, 220-194
Match 4 – No. 5 Lavoie def. No. 1 Simonsen, 233-187

KYLE TROUP WINS PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR FIRST CAREER MAJOR TITLE 

Defeats Dick Allen in the championship match to win $250,000

Jupiter, Fla.--Top seed Kyle Troup bowled a 257 game to win the PBA Players Championship for his first career major title, defeating third seed Dick Allen in the championship match. Troup’s seventh overall PBA Tour title earned him a PBA record-tying $250,000 first-place prize.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Troup. “Hard work pays off. I felt very confident in my ball reaction and the angle I was playing. I didn’t really feel nervous at all. I stayed focused and the pressure and the nerves kind of went away.”
Like Troup, Allen was also seeking his first career major title. Allen defeated Tom Smallwood and François Lavoie to get to the championship match, then took an early lead over Troup.
“I had two misses in the first four frames,” said Troup. “There can be some thoughts going through my head like, oh no, what’s going on here? But I just told myself to keep my mind forward and my eyes forward. Keep working, keep pushing, believe in yourself.”
When Allen left a 10-pin in the seventh frame, giving Troup a one-pin advantage, Troup knew the outcome was in his hands.
“I try not to pay attention to the score and just make the best shot I can make,” said Troup. “But I knew once I had that advantage and I could strike out to win, the only thing I was thinking was you don’t hope to win, you expect to win. I expected Dick Allen to strike out and force me to strike out, so I was expecting to have to throw all of them.”
In the ninth frame, Allen left a 7-10 split, easing the burden on Troup. Troup struck in his half of the ninth, then clinched the title with a strike in the 10th frame.
Troup was the top seed throughout every round of the PBA Players Championship. He led all East Region qualifiers through 28 games of qualifying to earn the top seed in the East Region Finals, in which he defeated Michael Davidson to advance to the PBA Players Championship Finals. Then, he led the three-game, total-pinfall seeding round held last night, rolling a 741 series to clinch a spot in the title match.
“After I won the region, I went home and relaxed for a couple days,” said Troup. “Then it was time to buckle down. Keep competing. Keep practicing. A lot of self-talk and self-belief. I knew I had to go to work to take this next step in my career.”
By earning his seventh career title and first major, Troup also qualifies for the first spot in the PBA Super Slam, which will feature all five 2021 major winners and air April 18 on FOX Broadcast Channel.
PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL STANDINGSBowlero Jupiter – Jupiter, Fla.

1. Kyle Troup, earns $250,000
2. Dick Allen, $130,000
3. François Lavoie, $80,000
4. Tom Smallwood, $60,000
5. Anthony Simonsen, $50,000

MATCH SCORESMatch 1 – No. 4 Smallwood def. No. 5 Simonsen, 278-225
Match 2 – No. 3 Allen def. No. 4 Smallwood, 216-195
Match 3 – No. 3 Allen def. No. 2 Lavoie, 244-227
Match 4 – No. 1 Troup def. No. 3 Allen, 257-212

GLENN PILON WINS $2,000 FIRST PRIZE IN MDUSBC SENIOR MASTERS AT MAYFLOWER LANES

Glenn Pilon of Trenton beat Larry Walker of Garden City in the finals 447-404 to win the Metro Detroit USBC (MDUSBC) Senior Masters title at Mayflower Lanes in Redford and take home the top prize of $2,000. Walker settled for the runner-up check of $1,000.


Pilon, the 2015 MDUSBC Senior Masters champion, qualified fourth with a six-game total of 1,363 including a high game of 279. He remained in the winner’s bracket with triumphs over Eric Tulley of Brighton 425-398, Gerald Johnson of Taylor 516-342, Richard Wayne of Westland 434-412 and Bo Goergen of Sanford 444-387 as he waited for Walker to emerge from the loser’s bracket. He averaged 226.8 for 16 games of competition.
Walker, the 2009 MDUSBC Senior Masters champion, qualified 15th with 1,298 and a high game of 267. He won his first match over Frank Camilleri of Brownstown 488-468 before falling to Goergen 418-407 to set up a long way back to the final match. In the loser’s bracket he beat Ken Wyatt of Sterling Heights 470-418, defending champion Robert Sloma of Jenison 430-361, top qualifier Gary Duarard Jr of Livonia 383-312, Harold Sullins of Chesterfield 450-368, Jeffrey Austreng of Waterford Township 500-395, Michael Lucente of Warren 452-425 and avenged the earlier loss to Goergen 484-406 to advance to the championship match. He averaged 221.8 for 26 games.
Goergen qualified second with 1,371. He remained in the winner’s bracket with victories over Walker 418-407, John Langston of Plymouth 382-354, Austreng 451-390 before losing to Pilon 444-387. He then lost to Walker 484-406 to end his day. He took home $750 for his third place finish, averaging 213.4
Lucente finished fourth for $500 after qualifying sixth with 1,341. In match play, he won his first match against Stephen Krywy of Sterling Heights 438-430 before falling into the loser’s bracket with a loss to Austreng 436-353. Once in the loser’s bracket he beat Tulley 384-353, Langston 363-306, Wayne 379-369 before losing to Walker 452-425. He averaged 204.6 for 16 games.
Austreng finished fifth for $400 and averaged 214.7. Wayne finished sixth for $400 and averaged 213.3. Sullins ended up seventh for $350, averaging 207.2 and Langston took home $350 for his eighth-place finish, averaging 201.1.
Jeffrey Suma Sr. of Clarkston won the Super Senior competition for non-qualifiers 60 years of age and older. He defeated Larry Wilson of Detroit 253-187 for the title. Suma won $200 for his efforts and Wilson walked away with a check for $175.
Defending champion Robert Sloma finished 14th, cashing for $275 and averaging 211.7.
The entire field averaged 196.3 in qualifying with the top 24 averaging 219.4. The match play average was 203.

DICK ALLEN AVERAGES 270 TO WIN SOUTH REGION AND ADVANCE TO PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

​The #5 seed won all four matches to earn the last berth in the PBA Players Championship Finals

Jupiter, Fla.--Fifth seed Dick Allen climbed the stepladder and defeated #1 seed Jesper Svensson in the final match to win the South Region Finals. With four victories and a 270 average, Allen became the first and only player to advance to the PBA Players Championship Finals from anywhere other than the top seed.
While Allen averaged 270, his opponents averaged 258. Every match led to Allen needing a clutch performance in the 10th frame to secure victory.
“This is what we’re out here to do,” said Allen of bowling under pressure. “This is why we play the game. You have to control the heart rate, the blood rushing through the veins, the emotions. You get the job done and then you can celebrate. To be able to do that on this stage just feels good.”
With a strike and spare to finish the opening match, Allen defeated Tom Daugherty, who started his game with the front eight, by a single pin. Allen then doubled in the 10th to get past Ryan Ciminelli by five pins. Needing a strike and six pins to win the semifinal match against Cristian Azcona, Allen rolled all three strikes for the win. In the final match, Allen needed to fill 17 pins in the 10th to defeat Jesper Svensson, then filled 28 to win the South Region.
“I knew the lanes were going to be high-scoring,” said Allen. “I just did whatever I could. As the middle started to hook and the back ends started to hook some more, my point of origin stayed the same but the destination down lane changed. I tried to keep moving my eyes left, keep my speed up and stay aggressive.”
Allen, who owns seven PBA Tour titles and will be looking to win his first major, joins Anthony Simonsen (West), François Lavoie (Southwest), Tom Smallwood (Central) and Kyle Troup (East) in next week’s PBA Players Championship Finals, when the five players will compete for a top prize of $250,000.
“I’m going to try to stay in every match and hope I get a chance to step up in the 10th and do what I like to do,” said Allen.
The PBA Players Championship Finals will air live on FOX Broadcast Channel Feb. 21.
SOUTH REGION STEPLADDER FINALS RESULTSBowlero Jupiter – Jupiter, Fla.

1. Dick Allen, advances to PBA Players Championship Finals
2. Jesper Svensson, earns $15,000
3. Cristian Azcona, $13,000
4. Ryan Ciminelli, $11,000
5. Tom Daugherty, $10,000

---

KYLE TROUP ADVANCES TO PBA PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS, CHRIS VIA BOWLS 300
FEBRUARY 7, 2021 JEF GOODGER

​Jupiter, Fla.--Kyle Troup continued the trend of the top seeds winning each region, defeating Michael Davidson to win the East Region and move into the PBA Players Championship Finals. In the opening match on the telecast, Chris Via rolled the 30th televised perfect game in the history of PBA title events.
“This was the next step in winning my first major,” said Troup, a six-time PBA Tour champion. “My goal was to get to Jupiter, then come here and conquer this tournament. I did so. Now I’m going to go home and work even harder. It doesn’t stop here.”
Following an errant shot in the first frame that Troup blamed on a mental lapse, he rattled off the next seven strikes to build a commanding lead over Davidson, who was making his first TV finals appearance.
“After that first frame, I did a lot of self-talking,” said Troup. “Telling myself to stay in it, stay present, don’t worry about (Davidson’s) ball reaction. He had a little bit of room, but I wanted to stay focused on myself and the shots I was making.”
Davidson, the third seed, defeated Via and Brandon Novak to earn his way into the final match.
Seeded fourth, Via achieved perfection against Tim Foy Jr., who was making his TV finals debut. Foy qualified sixth but stepped in as the alternate when Bill O’Neill withdrew himself per COVID-19 protocol.
In the next match, Via rolled the first five strikes against Davidson before leaving a 4 pin in the sixth frame. Via’s 17 strikes in a row fell one short of the PBA record for most consecutive strikes on a PBA telecast; Pete Weber rolled 18 in a row in 2001 and Ryan Shafer tied the mark in 2007. Via earned an additional $10,000 for the 300 game.
Troup is the fourth player to advance to the PBA Players Championship Finals—joining Anthony Simonsen (West), François Lavoie (Southwest) and Tom Smallwood (Central)—and the first of the four who hasn’t won a major title. Simonsen, Lavoie and Smallwood each own two major championships.
“It feels good that my hard work has paid off, but it’s going to take every bit of physical and mental ability to beat the guys on the show,” said Troup. “Self-belief goes a long way and I believe that I can win.”
Troup, Simonsen, Lavoie and Smallwood will be joined by next week’s winner of the South Region to compete in the PBA Players Championship Finals for a major championship title and a top prize of $250,000.
The PBA Players Championship Finals will air live on FOX Broadcast Channel Feb. 21.

Cooper Webb Grabs Thrilling 450SX Class Win in Texas
Colt Nichols Nabs 250SX Class Win

Houston, Texas, (January 23, 2021) Round three of the 2021 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, finished its triple-header inside NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas and delivered the third winner in as many rounds. Red Bull KTM's Cooper Webb made a last lap pass to capture the 450SX Class win in front of 9,115 limited-attendance, pod-style seated, enthusiastic fans. Team Honda HRC's Ken Roczen was on Webb's rear tire at the end for second and Monster Energy Kawasaki's Adam Cianciarulo brought home his first podium in 2021. The Eastern Regional 250SX Class also delivered its third winner in three rounds when Monster Energy Star Racing Yamaha's Colt Nichols fought past his teammate to grab his first win in two years. The event kicked off the sport's fourth year of partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital with a new 'text to donate' campaign.  
Cooper Webb took his first win of 2021 with a thrilling last lap pass. It marked KTM's 50th Monster Energy Supercross Main Event win. Photo Credit: Feld Entertainment, Inc.  

Webb led at the 450SX Class Main Event holeshot line but Team Honda HRC's Ken Roczen hung close then moved past him two minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race. Adam Cianciarulo settled into third with season-opener winner Troy Lee Designs / Red Bull / GASGAS Factory Racing's Justin Barcia close behind. Defending champ Monster Energy Kawasaki's Eli Tomac was off to a mid-pack start and moved up through the field steadily.

Barcia was the fastest rider on the track, but a crash in the sand section after the midpoint of the race ended his chances of a podium finish. Roczen pulled, what appeared as, a comfortable lead of over three seconds late in the race, but Webb started his charge and moved his KTM up to the Honda rider's rear wheel in the closing laps. Webb benefitted when a lapper flustered Roczen on the final lap; Webb took advantage and tucked inside a 180-degree corner, cut across the ruts, and sealed his spot in the lead. 

The win was the twelfth for Cooper Webb and the 50th Monster Energy Supercross Main Event win for KTM; an impressive milestone with their first win coming in 2012. The second place finish pushed Ken Roczen into the points lead, only one point ahead of both Webb and Barcia.

Detroit Lions News: 3 Holiday wishes heading into 2021

by Bob Heyrman of Fan Side Daily

​The year 2020 has been taxing in general, to say the least, but for the Detroit Lions, it’s been yet another lost year. It’s been another underwhelming season for the organization, marking the third in a row.  These past three seasons have a couple of things in common: Matthew Stafford at quarterback and Matt Patricia as the head coach.
With the franchise ridding themselves of a toxic Patricia, Stafford’s future in Detroit remains in limbo.
As we head through the holiday season, here are three wishes surrounding the Detroit Lions.
Hiring a proven general manager.Detroit Lions primary owner Sheila Ford Hamp mentioned the organization would prefer their next general manager to have experience in the role.  That being said, the Detroit Lions have interviewed candidates both internally and externally, headlined by ESPN analyst Louis Riddick without any previous managerial experience.
Before hiring former Lions linebacker Chris Spielman to an advisory role, he’d been asked if he would have any interest in interviewing for the vacant general manager’s position.  Yet, another potential candidate without any managerial experience, Spielman opted to decline, saying he’d be better suited in an advisory role for the time being but would be willing to learn and groomed for a potential opportunity down the road, whether it’s in Detroit or elsewhere.  Spielman’s brother Rick has been the Minnesota Vikings general manager from 2012 to the present day.
Ford Hamp and team president Rod Wood said they’d be doing an extensive search that could last upwards of six weeks exhausting all options before making a hire.  They’ve stood true to their word on this front.
Over the last few days, the Detroit Lions started to interview managerial candidates with experience, including Rick Smith, Thomas Dimitroff, and Scott Pioli.
It seems at this time, Dimitroff is the early favorite. The former Atlanta Falcons boss did assemble a Super Bowl-bound Atlanta roster that would fall hard in historic fashion to the New England Patriots after leading 28-3 at the half in 2017.  That epic collapse is not on the GM, but ultimately on head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
While Shanahan led the 49ers to the Super Bowl last season only to find himself again on the wrong side of the result despite leading in the fourth quarter, both Quinn and Dimitroff were let-go after a lackluster 0-5 start to the 2020 season.
I’ve stated in the past that Rick Smith would be a tremendous hire after knowing his rich early-round draft history during his Houston Texans days.  Smith landed J.J. Watt, DeShaun Watson, Jadeveon Clowney, and DeAndre Hopkins.
Pioli spent four years as the Kansas City Cheifs GM, but his track record is less than impressive.  The former KC GM will be most remembered for turning the keys over to Matt Cassel on offense and Todd Haley as the team’s head coach.  Both didn’t work out so well.  Pioli did draft star safety Eric Berry though.
2. A ‘players’ head coach.The Detroit Lions need to try and right the ship in a big way.  The franchise hired a drill sergeant in Matt Patricia after dismissing a players-type coach in Jim Caldwell.  Caldwell had been released after producing back-to-back 9-7 seasons in favor of the New England cast away.
Maybe Caldwell would not have been able to lead the Detroit Lions to the promised land, but he was a head coach players’ would go to war for, something that can’t be said about Patricia.  Not only did Patricia’s toxic energy and attitude destroy the Lions’ locker room, it clearly stunt-the-growth of the entire organization.
The Detroit Lions need to build a new culture, and it starts from the top.  Detroit will have an opportunity to land one of the leagues’ top assistants, and first on the list should be Dearborn’s own Robert Saleh.
Saleh is becoming a defensive genius.  He’s somehow maintained a top-ten defense despite not having the 49ers’ top players at his disposal, including one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL in Nick Bosa.
In San Francisco’s Super Bowl run last season, with Bosa, DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, Dee Ford, Solomon Thomas, all healthy, Saleh let his front four generate pressure without blitzing.  The 49ers created the leagues’ most pressure, rarely blitzing.
During the 2020 season, it’s been the opposite; Saleh has been forced to call a defense minus everyone mentioned above at various times understanding Buckner had been traded this past offseason.  The others have all missed significant time this season, along with Tartt and Sherman, forcing Saleh to blitz nearly 35% of the time, which ranks near the top in the league to generate pressure, all the while maintaining an NFL top-ten defense.
The often energetic Saleh would be a great hire for the Detroit Lions.  Other options to follow are Cheifs OC, Eric Bieniemy, and Panthers OC Joe Brady.
3. A clear-cut decision regarding Matthew Stafford.As the Detroit Lions near yet another regime change, quarterback Matthew Stafford’s future remains in limbo.
Will the next Lions general manager, head coach decide to retain the soon to be 33-year old quarterback or decide to go in a different direction hoping to build around a rookie quarterback?  There are certainly benefits from drafting a young quarterback on a rookie salary.
There are plenty of examples throughout the league—the most obvious being Patrick Mahomes.  After sitting one season behind Alex Smith, the Chiefs took off with Mahomes under center. Being on a rookie deal allowed the organization to surround their young quarterback with a plethora of weapons.
Sure, Mahomes’ record-breaking contract extension kicks in after this season, forcing the team to cut corners elsewhere.
Another example is Kyler Murray in Arizona.  The Cardinals drafted the talented dual-threat quarterback first overall, and he’s stepped right in and excelled in his second season at the helm.  Having Murray on a rookie deal allowed the organization to fleece the Houston Texans in acquiring the leagues’ best receiver in DeAndre Hopkins.
It always can go South; look no further than the Washington Football Team and Dwayne Haskins.  That is what makes moving on from the franchise’s all-time top quarterback so difficult.
There are benefits from deciding to move on from Stafford when it comes to the salary cap.  I am a fan of Stafford, and I also feel the organization owes it to him if he felt like he wanted to move on to a contender seeking a quarterback like Indianapolis, or perhaps the San Francisco 49ers.

NWHL 2021 Season to Feature an All-Female USA Hockey Officiating Staff
Effort is a milestone for pro hockey

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – With the help and guidance from USA Hockey, the NWHL’s upcoming season will have an all-female officiating staff. The league’s regular-season contests as well as the 2021 Isobel Cup Playoffs will be staged at the iconic Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y., from Jan. 23–Feb. 5, 2021.
The 10 officials selected to the NWHL officiating staff include Sarah Buckner (Crystal, Minn.), Erika Greenen (Romeoville, Ill.), Kendall Hanley (Minneapolis, Minn.), Alicia Hanrahan (St. Paul, Minn.), Jacqueline Howard (Gaithersburg, Md.), Jamie Huntley-Park (Escondido, Cali.), Jackie Spresser (Thornton, Colo.), Amanda Tassoni (Bradford, R.I.), Mackenzie Welter (Rome, N.Y.), and Laura White (Runnemede, N.J.).
“We’re appreciative of the partnership that has been formed with the NWHL in an effort to promote and develop our female officials,” said Matt Leaf, director of USA Hockey’s officiating education program. “The officials that have been selected are highly skilled, motivated and team-oriented officials who are up for the challenges that will be critical to the success of the NWHL season.
“They are the brightest and best of our current and future top-level female officials who bring a balance of experience, versatility, loyalty and an unmatched skill and a passion to be the best they can be each time they step on the ice.”
The participation of this officiating crew in the NWHL’s season is a milestone for pro hockey. While the league has had all-female officiating crews work games before, there has never been an all-female officiating initiative of this scale.
“I am thrilled with the officiating staff that we have assembled for the NWHL’s sixth season,” said Michelle Picard, deputy commissioner of the NWHL, who has previously played on U.S. Olympic and Women’s National Teams. “In working with Matt Leaf and USA Hockey, we've identified 10 of the most highly qualified officials from across the country. We are looking forward to having this group's expertise, enthusiasm, and professionalism in Lake Placid.”

​Timing on Jones announcement stings, but a new opportunity might be best

​CHICAGO, Ill. – Big Ten Champions Week on Big Ten Network kicks off tomorrow and features four games, including two rivalry matchups, three days of All-Big Ten award announcements and three hours of coverage on Wednesday as football’s early signing period commences.
 
Between noon and 12:15 p.m. ET Tuesday through Thursday via the Big Ten Network’s Twitter account, the 2020 All-Big Ten team and individual awards will be unveiled. The accolades will also available on Big Ten Network’s Facebook and Instagram channels as well as a press release from the Big Ten Conference.

• Tuesday (12/15): All-Big Ten Offensive selections and individual awards will be announced, including the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year, Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year, Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year, Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year, Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year and Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year. The Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year will be announced on either Tuesday or Wednesday depending on the position of the honoree.
•  Wednesday (12/16): All-Big Ten Defensive selections and individual awards will be announced, including the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year, Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year, Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year and Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year.  
• Thursday (12/17): All-Big Ten Special Teams, Head Coach selections and individual awards will be announced, including the Bakken-Anderson Kicker of the Year, Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year, Rodgers-along with the Dwight Return Specialist of the Year, Hayes-Schembechler (coaches vote) Coach of the Year and Dave McClain (media vote) Coach of the Year. The Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award, Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award and Sportsmanship Honorees will also be unveiled on Thursday.

 
On Wednesday, the Big Ten Network will host three hours of live recruiting coverage with B1G Live: Signing Day Special from 2 p.m. ET to 5 p.m. ET. Mike Hall, Gerry DiNardo, Howard Griffith and Allen Trieu, Midwest Football Recruiting Analyst for 247 Sports, will examine the incoming classes at all 14 Big Ten schools in addition to interviews with Tom Allen, Jeff Brohm, Paul Chryst, P.J. Fleck, Scott Frost, Michael Locksley, Mel Tucker, Greg Schiano and more.

According to 247Sports composite team rankings, the Big Ten currently has seven of the top 25 recruiting classes in the country, led by No. 2 Ohio State, No. 9 Michigan, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 20 Penn State, No. 21 Iowa, No. 22 Nebraska and No. 25 Maryland.

The week concludes with four games on Big Ten Network, including battles for Paul Bunyan’s Axe and the Old Oaken Bucket. On Friday, Nebraska visits Rutgers at 4 p.m. ET, followed by in-state rivals Purdue and Indiana kicking off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Saturday morning begins with a second rivalry game as Minnesota visits Wisconsin at 4 p.m. ET, before Michigan State takes on Maryland at 7:30 p.m. ET.
 
Also on Saturday, the 2020 Big Ten Football Championship Game presented by Discover headlines FOX College Football’s Big Noon Kickoff. In a rematch from 2018’s conference championship game, Ohio State will take on Northwestern at Noon ET in Lucas Oil Stadium.
 

JULIA HUREN WINS MDUSBC QUEENS AT THUNDERBOWL

Julia Huren of Westland defeated Robin Orlikowski of Grand Rapids 225-192 in the final match to win the MDUSBC Queens at Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park.

Huren had lost to Orlikowski 219-205 to force a final and deciding match. Huren won the title and $1,000, while Orlikowski settled for $500.

Huren qualified second with a six-game total of 1,376 on games of 189, 236, 279, 248, 190 and 234. In match play she beat Sheri Verespej of Newport226-201, Lauren Krywy of Sterling Heights 233-180 and Orlikowski the first time 248-236. She then had to wait for a challenger to emerge from the loser's bracket in the double-elimination format. She averaged 228.5 for 11 
games of competition.

Orlikowski, the 2017 MDUSBC Queens champion, qualified fourth with 1,332 with a high game of 244. In match play she beat Nicole Harrison of Clinton Township 225-220, top qualifier Brandie Reamy of Livonia 234-204, before falling to Huren the first time 248-236. In the loser's bracket she beat

Harrison the second time 259-234 to advance to the championship match. She averaged 224.7 for 12 games.

Harrison finished third for $300 and Verespej fourth for $200.
Reamy shot 300 in her first match win over Madalyn Klein of Whitmore Lake and settled for $175.

The entire 30 person qualifying field averaged 201.3.

LATE TD PASS, KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYS HELP TOLEDO DEFEAT CENTRAL MICHIGAN, 24-23, IN SEASON FINALE

TOLEDO, Ohio - Sophomore quarterback Carter Bradley threaded the CMU defense to hit redshirt freshman wide receiver Jerjuan Newton for a game-winning 28-yard TD pass to give Toledo a 24-23 victory over Central Michigan at the Glass Bowl on Saturday.
Despite trailing for much of the second half, the Rockets saved their best for last in the season finale. Bradley's clutch TD toss with 1:31 to go put his team up by one, then junior defensive end Terrance Taylor stopped the Chippewas' final drive with a strip sack on their final offensive drive. Junior running back Bryant Koback then ran for a first down on third-and-17 to clinch the victory.
"Really happy for our football team and the way they were able to persevere down the stretch," head coach Jason Candle said. "I'm really proud of our guys. I'm happy to get a win today against a good football team on a windy day. Our guys really answered the bell today, even if it wasn't pretty at times."

Toledo (4-2, 4-2 MAC) was able to overcome a Central Michigan (3-3, 3-3 MAC) defense that forced four UT turnovers and recorded six sacks on the afternoon. The victory clinched a share of second place in the MAC West Division with Western Michigan.

Bradley completed 18-of-33 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Koback added 123 yards on the ground, the seventh 100-yard performance of his career and second of the season. He also led the team with five receptions for 44 yards and a TD, while Newton and junior wide receiver Isaiah Winstead both caught touchdowns as well. On the defensive side, junior linebacker Dyontae Johnson led the team with 10 tackles and junior defensive end Desjuan Johnson added eight stops with 2.5 tackles for loss.
First Quarter 
Central Michigan opened the contest with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Kobe Lewis to Kalil Pimpleton. Lewis lined up in the wildcat and faked a run before fading back and hitting Pimpleton in the end zone. Toledo tied it up on a 15-yard TD reception by Bryant Koback from Carter Bradley that capped a 45-yard drive. Later in the quarter, Thomas Cluckey converted a 24-yard field goal to give Toledo a 10-7 lead.
Second Quarter 
CMU tied the contest at 10-10 on a 23-yard field goal by Marshall Meeder early in the quarter. The score remained deadlocked until Bradley hit Isaiah Winstead for a 13-yard TD completion with 27 seconds left in the half.
Third Quarter 
The Chippewas tied the score on their first play from scrimmage in the second half, a 68-yard TD run by Lew Nichols. Later in the quarter, CMU took a 20-17 lead on a career-long, wind-aided 53-yard field goal by Meeder. Following an interception, Meeder connected again, this time from 47 yards to push the CMU lead to 23-17.

Fourth Quarter
The Rocket defense held Central Michigan in check long enough to put together an 11-play, 83-yard scoring drive to take a 24-23 lead. Facing a third-and-22, Bradley perfectly placed a 28-yard TD pass into the hands of Jerjuan Newton to put Toledo ahead with 1:33 to play. On the ensuing CMU drive, Terrance Taylor's strip sack of quarterback Ty Brock gave Toledo the ball back with just over a minute to play. The Rockets were able to run out the final 71 seconds to put away the Chippewas. Bryant Koback sealed the win with a 27-yard run on third-and-17 in the waning seconds.

​Lions hot prospect coach is local

The Detroit Lions should bring home Robert Saleh to be their next head coach.by Bob Heyrman- Detroit Jock City
It’s a Detroit Lions franchise that is desperately seeking a new identity.  What better way for Shelia Ford Hamp and Rod Wood to hit the reset button by bringing in a highly motivated, eager, highly regarded defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh to be the teams’ next head coach.
Over the last year, I’ve lobbied for the organization to hire an offensive-minded head coach after the disaster we’ve seen from Matt Patricia.  I’ve shifted my thought process watching how well the San Francisco 49ers defense has performed in 2020, considering all of the pieces they’ve been forced to play without.  Oh, and it doesn’t hurt knowing Saleh is a hometown guy, having grown up in Dearborn, Michigan.
The 41-year old DC started his coaching career as an assistant with Michigan State, then moving on to Central Michigan and Georgia before heading to the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks.  After cutting his teeth as an assistant in various capacities, Saleh finally received an opportunity to be a lead positional coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching the linebackers.  That success landed him a DC job with the 49ers, coaching on Kyle Shanahan’s staff.
After enjoying tremendous success, Saleh interviewed last season for the Cleveland Browns job as the 49ers were heading to another Super Bowl appearance, but the job eventually went to Kevin Stefanski, who previously called the Minnesota Vikings offense.
The 49ers have struggled in 2020 to gear up for another title run, mostly due to a plethora of injuries scattered throughout their roster.  The 49ers have not only been playing without their starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on offense, but they’ve also been forced to start their fourth and fifth running backs and wide receivers multiple times.
On the defensive side of the ball, Saleh’s been required to operate without super-star defensive end Nick Bosa, plus Richard Sherman, Arik Armstead, Dee Ford, Ronald Blair, Solomon Thomas, Jaquiski Tartt, and Ziggy Ansah.
Oh, and don’t forget the 49ers opted to trade away one of the league’s top interior defenders in DeForest Buckner this past offseason knowing they’d be tight against the salary cap.
With all that said, the 49ers are still producing a top-five defense in 2020 (Before Monday night’s game).  The 49ers rank 10th defending the run plus ranking fourth against the pass.
A lot of this success is due to Saleh’s ability to scheme an efficient game plan with the resources he’s been given week after week.
During the 2019 season with a healthy group, the 49ers had been able to generate pressure without blitzing.  Buckner, Bosa, and company had the ability to make things happen with their raw talent allowing the 49ers to drop into coverage.
Per Pro Football Reference, in 2019, the 49ers defense created the most pressure, 14.7% blitzing the fourth-least, 20.9% of the time.  For the record, in the same season, the Detroit Lions blitzed the third-fewest times, just 18% of the teams’ defensive snaps, creating pressure just 8% of the time, ninth-worst across the league.
Fast forward to 2020.
The 49ers are blitzing a whopping 33.2% of the time, the tenth MOST in the NFL, creating the third MOST pressure at 11.6% of the time.  Think about that for a second, knowing they’ve been operating as a top-five overall defense with all of the players they have missing.
Robert Saleh has done a tremendous job changing his overall philosophy, adapting to the players at his disposal.  He’s exactly what the Detroit Lions need to turn their atrocious defense around.  If he opted to retain Darrell Bevell for another year to be his offensive coordinator while he focuses on repairing the defense; I’d be all for it.

2020 PBA TOUR PLAYER AWARDS FINALIST NOMINEES SELECTED

 By- DDZIOMBA -PBA Tour.com
Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year, Steve Nagy Sportsmanship and Tony Reyes PBA Community Service Honors to be Announced on Dec. 18New York, NY – In what was one of the most challenging and unprecedented years in the history of the PBA, the Tour’s brightest stars showed up to compete on and off the lanes.
For 2020, these stars will be honored in three categories – Chris Schenkel PBA Player of the Year, Steve Nagy Sportsmanship Award, and the Tony Reyes Community Service Award.
Player of the Year honors will award the Tour’s top player, the Nagy Sportsmanship Award will be given out to the player who has shown exemplary sportsmanship, and the Reyes Award will recognize a PBA member who has done extraordinary community service and/or charitable contributions in the calendar year.
There will be no Harry Golden Rookie of the Year for 2020 due to the complications created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rookie players will be eligible for the award in 2021.
Player of the Year nominees consist of the top eight earners in the 2020 season. Candidates in alphabetical order: are, Australia’s Jason Belmonte; Bill O’Neill of Langhorne, Pa.; Kris Prather of Plainfield, Ill.; Sean Rash of Montgomery, Ill.; Mo.; Anthony Simonsen of Little Elm, Texas, Sweden’s Jesper Svensson, EJ Tackett of Bluffton, Ind., and Kyle Troup of Taylorsville, N.C.
The PBA Player of the Year will be selected by a panel of veteran bowling writers and the entire PBA membership. The Nagy Sportsmanship Award winner is selected by PBA Tour players who have bowled in at least half of the current season’s tournaments. The Reyes Award recipient is selected by a special panel of PBA leaders.
The annual awards will be announced by PBA CEO Colie Edison and PBA Commissioner Tom Clark during a special presentation awards show on Dec. 18. More details to be announced at a later date.
Last year’s winners of the PBA’s four prestigious awards were Jason Belmonte, Player of the Year; Mykel Holliman, Rookie of the Year; Martin Larsen, Nagy Sportsmanship Award, and Chuck Gardner, Tony Reyes Community Service Award.

FINAL: Ohio State cruises to a 52-12 victory over Michigan State

Elijah McKown- The State News
Fresh off a huge win over Big Ten West leader Northwestern, Michigan State looked like a team with hope. As Ohio State came into East Lansing shorthanded with four starters, and 23 total players, some thought the Spartans could have a chance.
That couldn’t be further from the truth as Justin Fields and the Ohio State Buckeyes thrashed Michigan State, 52-12 Saturday afternoon at Spartan Stadium.
Fields, OSU's all-important quarterback, got things going early for the Buckeyes on their first drive after holding Michigan State for a three and out to begin the game. Right after Michael Fletcher was tabbed with a roughing the passer penalty on third down, Fields and his running back Master Teague torched the Michigan State defense on the ground as Fields finished the drive by escaping five Michigan State defenders for a walk-in touchdown.
The Michigan State offense was dismal the entire first half as they finished with just 80 total yards in the first half. The Spartan offense began that poor display on offense in the first half with four consecutive three and outs. 
The Buckeyes took advantage of the Spartans’ struggles going up 28-0 at the end of the first half on the back of Fields’ legs.
With two minutes left to go in the first quarter, Fields began the drive by scrambling outside of the pocket and turning up field for a 44 yard gain to the Michigan State 28. On the next set of downs Fields would find Garrett Wilson for a 28 yard touchdown pass to cap off a 72 yard, 41 second drive.
Self enforced errors and penalties were killers for Michigan State. Following Ohio State’s quick striking drive, Michigan State again went three and out and gave the ball back to Ohio State. Michigan State then committed a holding penalty as Ohio State was facing third and five to keep the chains moving.
As Ohio State drove inside Michigan State’s 10, the Spartans looked to have a big sack coming out of a timeout, only to have 12 players on the field. Fields would cap off the drive with his second touchdown run of the game.
Michigan State quarterback Rocky Lombardi struggled in the first half as the run game looked flat and miscommunication on routes hampered the passing attack. Backed up into his own endzone, the Ohio State defense was able to deflect his pass and come up with an interception to add to the already bleak game.
Lombardi would later leave the game with what appeared to be a shoulder injury. Redshirt quarterback Payton Thorne stepped in to replace Lombardi for the remainder of the game.
Michigan State would get their first drive of substance in the game before the end of the half as Thorne was able to provide a spark to the MSU offense through the air. Driving inside Ohio State territory for the first time, Thorne couldn’t break the seal for the Spartans as he was stripped for a fumble to end the first half.
On the Spartans next drive Thorne would continue to look efficient in the beginning of the second half. On their first second half drive, Thorne drove the Spartans back into Ohio State territory but came up short as the Spartans questionably chose to punt.
The Buckeyes continued to flex their muscles as graduate transfer running back Trey Sermon flashed past the Spartan defense for a 64 yard touchdown run.​

WES MALOTT WINS FOR THE PORTLAND LUMBERJACKS IN THE FIRST-EVER PBA LEAGUE ALL STAR CLASH

​New York, NY — 2020 will go down as the year most of us will want to forget, but it’s certainly been very memorable for Wes Malott and the Portland Lumberjacks!
Malott emerged as the first-ever PBA League All Star Clash Champion taking down Hall of Famer and longtime doubles partner, Dallas Strikers’ Norm Duke in the final round of unpredictable and always exciting sudden-death style special event at Bowlero Centreville.
“In this type of format, it can really go anyway, said Malott. “To know that I have these guys (referring to his Lumberjack teammates) supporting me on the sidelines in this particular environment. I wouldn’t want it any other way. This win is for all of us!”
The Lumberjacks, who won back-to-back PBA League Elias Cup championships just two months ago in the same building have built a franchise winning team with strong chemistry and trust in the two-time PBA League MVP Malott.
“This is the franchise player,” said Lumberjacks teammate Kyle Troup about Malott in the first round of competition. “We know he has ten back every shot and he’s chopping down the competition one shot at a time.”
The Lumberjacks support for Malott never faltered throughout the competition.
“Wes is sharp, he has good ball reaction and a lot of confidence,” added Troup about Malott’s game in the tenth round with three players remaining.
Troup was right as Malott outlasted eleven PBA and PWBA Tour professionals to capture the $50,000 first-place prize for his team.
It was not all smooth sailing for Malott, who had a lucky break in round five getting a late strike. All players struck in the round, forcing a roll-off between the remaining eight competitors. Malott easily struck in his next shot to continue his champion run.
Stealing the show for the first ten rounds of the competition was Danielle McEwan of the Miami Waves, one of two PWBA Tour players who brought her A-game to compete against the best in the world.
McEwan, who competed in the PBA Summer Clash in June, used the experience to her advantage, plus the anchor position in the event’s format to knock out Philadelphia Hitmen’s Dom Barrett in round one, Silver Lake Atom Splitters’ Chris Barnes in round three, Phoenix Fury’s Liz Johnson in round four, L.A. X’s Jason Belmonte in round six, NYC KingPins’ Pete Weber in round seven, and Las Vegas High Rollers’ Francois Lavoie in round eight. Remaining players were eliminated in roll-off ties. The 12 All Star players were selected to represent their teams by having the highest number of PBA or PWBA titles on each team, with an impressive combined total of 248 Tour titles.
202 PBA League All Star Clash Results

1. Wes Malott, Portland Lumberjacks
2. Norm Duke, Dallas Strikers
3. Danielle McEwan, Miami Waves
4. EJ Tackett, Motown Muscle
5. Francois Lavoie, Las Vegas High Rollers
6. Pete Weber, NYC KingPins
7. Jason Belmonte, L.A. X
8. Walter Ray Williams Jr., Brooklyn Styles
9. Liz Johnson, Phoenix Fury
10. Chris Barnes, Silver Lake Atom Splitters
11. Sean Rash, Brew City Ballers
12. Dom Barrett, Philadelphia Hitmen

Physicality and turnovers: How MSU upset Northwestern in East Lansing

By Joe Dandron   Mel Tucker closed his eyes at practice leading up to MSU’s game against Northwestern.
He heard the physicality in a way he hadn’t before.
“In our team run periods when we had the pads on, they started to sound, the practices started to sound like they are supposed to sound,” Tucker said when asked about the practices leading up to Saturday's game. “The physicality, you could close your eyes and actually hear a physical football team on both sides of the ball. When you start to get that feel, you start to get that physicality, it's something that players look forward to.”
The physicality he heard in practice came through in the game Saturday as MSU upset undefeated Northwestern at Spartan Stadium. 
It manifested itself in forcing four turnovers and gaining 195 rushing yards on 47 attempts. All those numbers are season highs for MSU.
“In some of our previous games we felt like we were very close in the run game,” Tucker said. “From an offensive line standpoint, tight ends blocking, runners hitting the hole and just understanding where the power of the play is and where the runs need to hit. We had some plays we were able to show our guys (and say), ‘If we do it right, we’re efficient in the run game’, and we were able to build on those.”
Tucker has preached that physicality all season. It was missing as MSU lost 49-7 to Iowa on the road and 24-0 to Indiana at home. But on Saturday, Tucker finally got through to his team in a 29-20 victory over one of the best teams in the Big Ten and FBS. 
MSU had four turnovers, the final one for a touchdown with zeroes on the clock to capitalize the upset as Kalon Gervin rolled onto the football in the endzone.
Connor Heyward had 96 rushing yards, and quarterback Rocky Lombardi had 65 of his own. The Spartans imposed their will despite only averaging 73.8 rushing yards a game coming into Saturday’s game.
“I think over the last two weeks we really got better and improved in the run game,” Heyward said after the game. “ We really worked on our craft these past two weeks, having that week off we didn’t take any days off. We went to work everyday whether that was just film or a lift.”
A defense that gave up 49 points to Iowa, only allowed 20 to Northwestern. MSU gave up just 63 total rushing yards in the game on 1.7 yards a carry.
Northwestern, a team that has prided itself on physical dominance all season, met its match in its first loss all year.

DREW ROSI CARRIES ON ROCKET FAMILY LEGACY

Senior tight end Drew Rosi will graduate with his bachelor’s degree in finance on Sunday, Dec. 6

By: Chris Cullum Toledo
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
When senior tight end Drew Rosi put on his Toledo jersey as a freshman in 2017, he wasn't the first in his family to do so. Nor would he be the last.
Drew's father, Steve Rosi, played tight end for the Rockets from 1992-95, earning first-team All-MAC and honorable mention All-America honors as a senior in 1995. So when Drew had his first meeting position meeting with the other tight ends his freshman year, some of his teammates began to connect the dots.
"It took about a day or two," Drew said. "There's a big picture of my dad with his name, it didn't take long for them to put it together."
Now in his fourth season, Drew has also left his mark on the Rocket football program. He played in 10 games as a true freshman in 2017, helping Toledo win a MAC Championship. He set career highs last year with 18 catches for 238 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including the game-winning TD reception in an overtime win against Eastern Michigan.
Drew has also been an exemplary student since arriving at Toledo. He is a two-time Academic All-MAC honoree and he will graduate this semester with a bachelor's degree in finance from the College of Business and Innovation.
"Drew comes from a great family and he's a guy that understands the importance of handling responsibilities at a high level," head coach Jason Candle said. "He's been that way since the minute he stepped on campus. Drew is a guy that doesn't back away from challenges. He meets them head on."
"As a parent, it feels great to know that one of your children has put forth that much effort and dedication towards something," said Steve Rosi, who played on the last undefeated Rocket team in 1995. "It's a difficult thing to play Division I sports and graduate college while doing as well as Drew has academically. It makes me smile to know what he has been able to accomplish."
Drew is the oldest of the three children in the Rosi family, all of whom are student-athletes. His younger brother Nick maintained the family legacy and followed him to Toledo, earning Freshman All-America honors as an offensive lineman last season. Younger sister Raegan is a freshman on the Wheeling University volleyball team. Living in the Columbus suburb of Powell, most of the conversations around sports unsurprisingly revolved around the Ohio State Buckeyes. But not for the Rosi family.
"Growing up in the Columbus area it was always about Ohio State or Michigan," Drew said. "But I didn't really care about either because I was a Rocket fan."
A standout player at Olentangy Liberty High School, Drew had other opportunities to play college football, but in the end the decision was a no-brainer.
"I had other offers," Drew said. "But the only school that I think really appreciated me and wanted me was Toledo."
Drew had grown up hearing about Toledo football and rooting for the Midnight Blue and Gold; now he would be joining them on the gridiron.
"When I was younger I used to listen to my dad's stories about how it was when he was here," Drew said. "It's cool being here and seeing his picture in the tight end room. It's a great place to be and I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity to play where he did."
Earning the chance to be a Division I student-athlete is an accomplishment in itself, let alone becoming an important contributor on a team. And if there was one person who knew what it felt like to stand in Drew's shoes, it was his father.


Drew (center) with his father Steve (far left), sister Raegan
(second from left), mother Deana (second from right),
and brother Nick (far right).  
"I know the dedication and hard work it takes to just being available, and enduring all the bumps and bruises," Steve said. "It means a lot to see him out there. I still get chills."
Last week's game against Eastern Michigan was the first time Steve was not able to see Drew or Nick play in person. They're all only a phone call away though, and Steve has been happy to serve as a resource for his two sons.
"They know I'm here and I've obviously shared a lot with them over the years," Steve said. "But I also know they take care of their business and do things the right way. As a father, I'm actually proud of the times they don't lean on me because I know they're doing okay on their own and thriving."
To steal a phrase from his father, Drew has definitely been taking care of business academically. He carries a 3.72 cumulative grade point average as a finance major and has met the criteria to be an Academic All-America nominee each of the last two seasons. The move to virtual classes this semester has not affected him at all; on the contrary, they're a good fit for his personality.
"I've always liked online classes," Drew said. "I like to get all of my work done as soon as I can so I can have plenty of time for football or to hang out or do whatever I want to do. Having online classes where I can work at my own pace helps with that. I've also had a lot of online classes in the past, so I was used to that type of schedule."
Drew plans to pursue professional football opportunities that become available once he leaves Toledo, and his dream job isn't far removed from his pigskin dreams. One day he would like to put his finance degree to good use and become the CFO of an NFL franchise.
Drew's Toledo journey doesn't end with the Virtual Commencement ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 6. The Rockets' final regular season game is six days later on Dec. 12 against Central Michigan, and he has also enrolled in COBI's graduate program where he will pursue his MBA in finance. The door is not closed on his playing career either; all football student-athletes in NCAA Division I will not accrue a year of eligibility this season, meaning he will be able to return in 2021 if he so desires.
In any case, receiving his bachelor's degree is a natural time to reflect on his time as a Rocket, and one thing is abundantly clear. Not only has Drew Rosi left an impact on the University of Toledo, but the University of Toledo has left an impact on Drew Rosi.
"It's been one of the best decisions I've ever made," Drew said. "Being able to graduate college and pursue a career in football or finance or something else entirely, my time at Toledo will give me the opportunity to be successful in whatever I do. It's something you dream about when you're a kid."

The Battle Royale that wasn't OSU beats back upstart Indiana 42-35

Ohio State junior quarterback Justin Fields (1) rushes the football down the field against Indiana Nov. 21. Credit: Christian Harsa | Assistant Photo Editor

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Ohio State got its first top-10 win Saturday, but its play on the field left much to be desired. 
The Buckeyes jumped out to a hot start, forcing Indiana into a quick punt on its opening drive and scoring on a two-play drive capped off by a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Justin Fields to sophomore wide receiver Garrett Wilson. 
However following that opening drive, Fields’ next three throws would result in two interceptions and an incompletion, allowing the Hoosiers to stick around in the opening half. Although the game would get as narrow as seven points late in the fourth quarter, Ohio State (4-0) would ultimately win the game 42-35 against Indiana (4-

“Really excited to be 4-0,” head coach Ryan Day said Saturday. “Coming off the bye week there and just looking back on everything we’ve been through the last few months, to be 4-0, be first place in the Big Ten East, big, big deal. Couldn’t be prouder of this team.”
Fields went on to finish the game 18-for-30 for 300 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. 
Wilson and junior wide receiver Chris Olave continued their stellar play with both reaching the 100-yard mark again. Wilson has reached the century-mark in every game this season, while this is Olave’s third game over 100 yards. 
Wilson hauled in seven receptions for 169 yards and two scores, while Olave added 101 yards on eight receptions. 
On the ground, redshirt sophomore running back Master Teague III had a career day, finishing the game with a career-high in yards and touchdowns. 

GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jackson’s Steve Maddalena Tops 2020 Senior Honor Roll

​FARMINGTON HILLS – Jackson’s Steve Maddalena has taken his game to the national stage in recent years, but still manages to star at home at age 60, too.
   “Honestly, I’m playing better now than I have in a long time,” he said. “I’m more comfortable with my game and playing against national players has helped.”
  Maddalena, a Country Club of Jackson member, is the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM) Senior Men’s Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann senior director of competitions and USGA services, announced today. It’s the second consecutive year that Maddalena has earned the honor.
  GAM Players of the Year are determined by the Honor Roll/Player of the Year points system. Player of the Year point totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org.
  Last week James Piot of Canton was named the GAM Men’s Player of the Year and Anna Kramer of Spring Lake was named the Women’s Player of the Year. Over the next few weeks the GAM will announce more Players of the Year in gender and age categories.
  “It was one of my goals this year – to try and repeat as Senior Player of the Year – and I was fortunate to do that,” said Maddalena, who was elected to the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 2007. “The competition is great and it doesn’t get easier. Every year a new group of guys turn 55 and make it even more competitive.”
  Most of the national events outside of USGA competitions don’t factor in GAM Player of the Year points, but Maddalena did have four top-10 finishes in significant tournaments around the country. His best finish was a second in the recent Society of Seniors – Founder’s Cup Championship at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif.
  His 393 GAM Player of the Year points were built primarily by winning the Michigan Senior Open in a sudden-death playoff with fellow Hall of Fame member and professional Jeff Roth of Boyne Golf Academy, as well as reaching the semifinals of the GAM Senior Match Play Championship where he was topped by eventual champion Mitch Wilson of Portage.
  It was Wilson, a member at the Moors Golf Club and the 2018 Senior Men’s Player of the Year, who finished second in the 2020 Player of the Year point totals with 233 points.
  Gregg Bonamici of Grosse Ile Golf & Country Club, the GAM Senior Champion, was third with 200 points. Jerry Gunthorpe of Ovid and Owosso Country Club was third with 190 points, and John Barbour of Grand Rapids and Cascade Hills Country Club rounded out the top five with 150 points.
  Barbour lost in a playoff to Bonamici in the GAM Senior Championship at Belvedere, and Maddalena said missing a putt on the final hole of regulation play to miss being part of the playoff was one of his few regrets of the summer.
  “I really wanted to win that tournament at Belvedere, one of my favorite courses,” said Maddalena, who won his first of three Michigan Amateur titles at the Charlevoix classic course.
   Otherwise, Maddalena, who also won the Jackson City Golf Championship for a record eighth time and became its oldest winner ever, said he had a solid summer and plans to keep playing a combination of Michigan and national tournaments.
  “I’ve had a lot of fun traveling around playing against the best players in the country,” he said. “To get ranked in the national top 50 seniors in the country (World Amateur Golf Rankings) was one my goals for the summer and I finished at 46. I would like to keep improving on that. As long as I feel I’m competitive and have a reasonable chance to win, I’ll keep playing like this. As soon as I feel I don’t have a chance to win, I probably will not be playing much and saving myself a lot of money.”
  Hartmann said he expects Maddalena to remain competitive for a long time.
   “His wedge game is really good, he’s aggressive, he grinds on that short game and doesn’t make big mistakes or big numbers,” he said. “He’s consistent and seems to work on the game like he did when he was younger. He’s a cordial guy, great to be around, not cocky, and very quiet. You don’t know if he is playing great or playing poorly. You just can’t tell from his face because he is locked-in to his game.”

Ally Challenge: ​Jim Furyk birdies 4 of 5 to  pull within one shot of the lead​ (Leaderboard Below)

The Press (including myself) talk to golf hall of famer Vijay Singh on still dominating on Legends Tour

All that mattered was the fist bump -- not handshake -- with Jack Nicklaus and taking his place along his idol, Seve Ballesteros, as the only Spaniards to reach No. 1 in the world.
With a 2-shot penalty because his ball moved the length of a dimple on his chip-in behind the 16th green, Rahm closed with 3-over 75 for a 3-shot victory over Ryan Palmer.
Rahm got up and down on the final four greens, which made it even sweeter.
One of the best performances of my life,'' Rahm said. "Yesterday was probably one of the best rounds of my life and finished today with some clutch up-and-downs. As a Spaniard, I'm kind of glad it happened that way.''
The fiery emotion is his hallmark. He showed it on a tee shot that sailed left into a creek on the 11th hole, slamming his club into the ground in a pique of anger. It was also evident with a ferocious fist pump after his flop shot from deep rough behind the 16th green rolled into the cup.
Birdie or bogey, it was a winner, a shot that would have made Ballesteros proud.
"I still can't believe it, I'm not going to lie,'' Rahm told Nicklaus off the 18th green.
With the penalty -- Rahm had no idea it was an issue until after his round but accepted the penalty when he saw video that zoomed in on the ball -- he finished at 9-under 279 for his 10th career victory and fourth on the PGA Tour.
Muirfield Village played its toughest in 42 years, with only five players under par, the fewest for the final round since the tournament began in 1976. Rahm's 75 was the highest finish by a winner since Roger Maltbie shot 76 the inaugural year.
The rough wasn't cut all week. The greens were allowed to go to the edge because they are being replaced. Crews stripped the entire fifth green as the leaders were on the back nine.
Rahm looked to be playing a different course. He played bogey-free on the front nine, with birdies on the two par-5s. That put him eight shots clear on his way to No. 1.
Then he made bogey on the 10th. Not a problem.
He yanked his tee shot into a creek on the par-5 11th, and that was a bigger problem, based on how hard he slammed the club into the ground in a pique of anger. He made double-bogey. Palmer made birdie on the 12th, and Rahm made another bogey from the bunker on the 14th.
Just like that, the lead was three shots.

Jon Rahm, pictured above with Jack Nicklaus, closed with a 3-over 75 for a 3-shot victory over Ryan Palmer, marking the highest final round by a Memorial winner since Roger Maltbie shot 76 in the inaugural year in 1976. Aaron Doster/USA TODAY SportsOnly a week ago at Muirfield Village for the Workday Charity Open, Justin Thomas had a 3-shot lead with three holes to play and wound up losing in a playoff to Collin Morikawa.
Rahm was worried that his tee shot might find the back bunker, though the rough was not a great option with how fast the greens were running. Rahm was thinking that anything inside 10 feet would be good. This was perfect, with the ball landing on the fringe and sliding down the slope into the cup.
As for the penalty?
"It doesn't change the outcome of the tournament,'' he said. "It just puts a little bit of an asterisk in it, in the sense of I wish I could just keep that birdie because it was one of the greatest shots of my life, right?''
The chip was similar -- but from a different angle -- to Tiger Woods' chipping in from behind the 16th green when he won the Memorial for the fifth time in 2012.
Woods, in his first competition since Feb. 16 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, shot 76 and tied for 40th.
Matthew Fitzpatrick had a 68 for the low score of the final day to finish third.
The consolation prize went to Palmer (74) and Mackenzie Hughes (72), who earned spots in the U.S. Open in September at Winged Foot as the leading two players from the top 10 who were not already eligible.
Henrik Norlander could have taken the final spot with a par on the 18th, but he missed the fairway well to the right, couldn't reach the green and made bogey. Norlander and Hughes tied at 3-under 285, but the spot went to Hughes because he had the better world ranking.
That ranking now starts with Rahm, who only four years ago was at the Memorial to receive the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation's best college player.
Now he's the best in the world, a ranking Rory McIlroy had since Feb. 9.
"He deserves it," McIlroy said after his tie for 32nd. "He's been playing great for a long time. Even the display this week, it's pretty impressive."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

By Tyler Kotila- New Jock City-​​The Detroit Tigers are buried in the rebuild right now, but 2020 is still going to be a make or break season for outfielder JaCoby Jones as he looks to show he belongs.The 2020 season is going to be a crucial one for Detroit Tigers outfielder JaCoby Jones who needs to prove that he belongs in the big leagues after a rough showing the past two seasons. Jones has been in the big leagues for parts of the past four seasons. The main issue with Jones is his plate discipline and lack of patience, leading to far too many strikeouts.
The Tigers outfield this year consists of some familiar faces, even an old friend in the form of Cameron Maybin, but if Jones wants to stick around, he needs to improve and show he belongs. He will get the opportunities this year platooning with Maybin and Víctor Reyes, who will find himself all over.
With Daz Cameron continuing in his route to the big leagues, Jones is going to have some more competition once the prospects within the organization continue developing. That is if he’s still around by that point in time.
​
In 2019, Jones played in eighty-eight games where he hit .235/.310/.430 with eleven home runs and twenty-six RBI while striking out ninety-four times. Injuries kept Jones on the injured list in 2019, and off the lineup card, he continued to show inconsistency either way.
Back in 2018, in his first “full” season in the big leagues, Jones was not very good posting a .207/.266/.304  with eleven home runs and thirty-four RBI while striking out 142 times on the season. Jones’s inconsistency at the plate has limited his value during his time in the big leagues.
The hope for Jones would be that a strong spring performance would carry over to the regular season, and he can emerge as a true consistent everyday centerfielder.

Musings of a Filterless Reporter-Column
​by Roy J. Akers

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 My take on Detroit Sports News- by Roy J. Akers

The Ally Challenge: Who is more excited, Tom Izzo to meet the Legends or the Legends to meet Izzo?

Musings of a Filterless Reporter-
​Column
​by Roy J. Akers

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Hey, sometimes the best team wins the Solheim Cup. Here's a timeline to a win and my take

​After the US went down 5 ½ to 2 ½ after day one of the Solheim Cup, the Americans win three of four morning matches and trail 6 ½ to 5 ½. The Americans cough up the one-point deficit in the afternoon four ball matches. Their two-match deficit has the Yanks training 9 to 7 to Team Europe.
2:15 pm. Observations: The Korda sisters are mortal. Well, we knew that but when you win four tournaments and a Olympic Golf Medal between the two, you expect a lot. Neither sister played great.
2:28 pm Sorry to say, but the same went for Lexi Thompson. She dropped matches on Friday and Saturday.
2:44pm -In a Nelly Korda sighting, she now leads her match by two holes after 9. At 2:59pm, its back to one.
2:58 pm. In a gut check moment, the Americans, who put up some red on the board after a third of the day, saw blue paint the scoreboard as seven of ten matches are now in the hands of Team Europe.
3pm- Now, eight of the ten matches are controlled by Team Europe. Escargot anyone?  
3:19pm Of the eight matches in the European lead column, five are by a single shot.
3:25- Lexi misses a short birdie putt. With three holes to go, she trails by one.
3:30- Jennifer Kupcho misses her par putt. This is the first loss for the Yanks on Sunday. Its 10-7 Europe.  
3:39- With Thompson and Ally Ewing now trailing by one hole, the Americans trail 8 to four in single matches and all players have at least started their back nine.
3:51 Ally Ewing misses a birdie putt on 16. Sagstrom finishes the match with a birdie. The final is 3 and 2. 11-7 Euros.
3:56 The Europeans win their third consecutive match as Boutier whipes out Harigae 5&4. Europe now leads 12-7.
4:09  For Team USA, Maria Salas has birdied number 13 and has made her match all square.
4:13 Thompson and Nordqvist finish their match halved. Europe leads 12 ½ to 7 ½.
4:22- Looking at the numbers, the Americans lead in four of the six remaining matches with two more all square. They need to win those four matches. Then they need the two AS matches and need to take one more point from a match the Europeans lead. My pencil is dull, but trying to find a way.
4:30 Nelly Korda nearly holes a birdie, but it was enough to finish off Georgia Hall. It is the American’s first win today in the fifth match of the day. 8 ½ to 12 ½
4:31 Brittany Altomare makes the anaconda and squares the match after 14.
4:47- Not much has changed on the math front. The matches are still basically the same except Danielle Kang now trails by two in her final match against Emily Pedersen.
4:48 The Americans have been dancing around the hole all day with hardly a made putt to show for it. Momma told me there would be days like these.
5:00 Sophia Popov wins her third straight hole to cut the Khang lead to three with three to play.
5:01 Lizette Salas hits a rope to eight feet. She could tie her match. Nope. She misses her putt. She makes the comebacker and the Yanks have a slight chance. Castren makes her putt and guarantees the Europeans at least a half point.
5:13 Khang closes out Popov with a par and wins the match 3&2. Europe 13, USA 10.
5:18 Matilda Castren stares down a putt after Salas misses her putt. She makes and The Euros are now sitting at 14. Europe 14, USA 10.
At 5:20pm, Europe clinches when Emily Pedersen was guaranteed a half point being up over Danielle Kang by three.

• The Keys to the 2021 Solheim Cup.
• Europe leading 3 ½ to ½ in the Saturday AM session.
• The Americans closed to 6 ½ to 5 ½ after Sunday morning. The Europeans opened the lead back to two.
• The Americans poor start on Sunday morning trailing in nearly every match was the smoke in the garage. Not making putts or having anything magical happen gave them what they deserved. A second place finish to a superb European team.
• My MVP Europe’s Leona Macguire. She went 5-0 for Europe. She is a terrific player who is clutch and keeps her mistakes to a minimum.

Let the celebrating begin. A night of Haggis and pints for the European team. 

Thoughts on NASCAR at Indy, James Piot and Tiger promotions of top draft picks

“In my wildest dreams I could never imagine the way that just played out,” Allmendinger said.
​   Well, that about sums it up for AJ Allmendinger, whose name was never mentioned until there were two laps to go on Sunday. When Chase Briscoe clipped Denny Hamlin in overtime on Sunday, NASCAR really only has about a dozen cars that realistically have a shot of winning in any given CUP race and for a former full-time cup rider gaining rides only on road courses, Allmendinger won a race for the little guys. 
   Bet you Bubba Wallace, who has never won a race would love to break through. So would multiple winner Erik Jones, who is still racing for his 2022 ride with Petty Enterprises, which is the black hole of racers looking for wins. 
+ Well, the crowd appeared to be decent at Indy. I was there a few years ago and it was embarrassing for NASCAR to basically have 250k seats for a race and barely 10k show up. They announced 40k, but there was no chance of that. 

   I love the new track owner Roger Penske thinking about a new way to spice up the race. The infield course was a great way to do it and the NASCAR drivers coming down turn one backwards down the straight was an interesting twist. For me, a big change is to have a racing doubleheader. The road course on Saturday, a concert on Saturday evening and racing at the famed oval on Sunday. Make it a combo ticket. 

James Piot wins the US Amateur. He is the first Michigander to ever win the tournament. I covered Piot as a high schooler a few years back and he is a very good player. Talented and more. His work ethic shows you that he can drive the ball 350 yards, but in the end, the tortoise won the match and Piot has made Michigan golfers proud. It will be great seeing him with the 10- year amateur exemption that no winner ever uses. He will be in the Master's and US Open field next year. I bet you Piot will work even harder if that is possible to make sure he is ready to make the cut and earn a check. 

Finally, Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene and Ryan Kreidler from Erie to Toledo. Torkelson and Greene most likely will be ready for the big club out of spring training in 2022, but don't expect to see them with the Tigers until they mess up their service time to gain their services for an extra year. So, the kids will continue to come. 

Al Avila is emptying out the farm system so players put up, or shut up. 

You can't blame Al Avila. After the Tigers traded away both Justin Verlander and JD Martinez back in 2018, it was very apparent that the Tigers teams that appeared in two World Series in seven seasons was over. As a matter of fact, the decline of Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez were already in free fall and Avila just popped the already deflated balloon and kicked it down the road. 

   Unlike the NFL draft which is also a crap shoot, the MLB is nearly speculative gambling compared to football players who for the most part, have four years of big time experience. With MLB, high school kids are mixed in with the college players and it makes for spectacular finds and flaming misses. 

   Avila has made a market correction with his picks and has taken stock of all of his picks since 2014. Derek Hill, the first rounder in 2014 was promoted last year and sputtered badly and got another chance earlier this season. He quickly ended up on the injured list and is rehabbing in Toledo. The jury is out on Hill. 
Avila also decided to take stock of his 2015 first round high school selection Beau Burrows. Burrows has largely floundered in the minors and his ceiling found him no higher than the mid minors. Avila cut bait with him earlier the season where the Cubs are trying to find a way to promote him to the big league club. 

   Casey Mize has the best arm in the Tigers organization and this 2018 first rounder was thrown into the fire last season and struggled. After a bumpy start in 2021, he has smoothed his stats out and is getting better to the point of being considered as Detroit's all-star representative, although it went to relief pitcher Gregory Soto. 
The Tigers last two first rounders will most likely get the call next season. Spencer Torkelson, last years first rounder and Riley Greene, the outfielder taken in 2019 could see action late this season when the rosters expand. 
Avila has little cash to spend on veterans and the minor leaguers are getting their trial by fire. Even if they sink in early promotions, both the organization and the players are getting great feedback.
Avila needs to keep the momentum going. His first round selection in 2021 will get a season or two in the minors and then its show time. I thought he might go with Jack Leiter, the mostly polished pitcher from Vanderbilt who is a senior and could plug him in with those already mentioned. The rumor is it will be a high school shortstop or pitcher Jackson Jobe. Those guys will be 2-4 seasons away. Stay tuned. 

The demise of Kyle Busch is premature thank goodness!
What went well and not so well at Pocono

First of all, a couple of exciting races at Pocono over the weekend. Usually, fuel mileage races are ... Boring. But for this past weekend, they were exciting. The multiple lead changes as cars gambled on a late caution that never came saw drivers that had a shot to win the race fall to a top-ten finish instead of lose valuable points and a 30th finish or worse. NASCAR had a winner of a weekend. They really listened both internally to new voices and the fans who wanted change and got it. Heck, if you are going to take racing dates away from Michigan, Pocono and others that had multiple weekends, then add a second race and some undercard races. Make the CUP races a little shorter and add a Truck or ARCA race in the morning.  More on all of the NASCAR changes another time but the 2021 schedule has been a winner. 
So, here are the winners from the Pocono weekend. 
1. Kyle Busch. Kyle wondered if he was washed up at the top level with a long losing streak dating back to 2020. Well, he gambled and won in the second race. He was driving a wounded car with transmission issues and had to drive very smartly to stay near the lead. Think of your own car having only fourth gear and being stopped at a red light. The lack of a late caution turned Busch into a two-time winner this year. 
-Alex Bowman-Bowman's career has always been tepid until taking over the #48 from the NASCAR HOF to be Jimmie Johnson. He has three wins this season to go along with 5 top fives and ten top tens. Bowman does have three DNF's this year. 
- Kyle Larson won this weekend even though he did not score a win in either or the Pocono races. He was a half-lap short from winning his fifth race in a row when he ran out of gas and finished 8th. In the second race, he finished right behind Kyle Busch for a second place finish. How lucky for Hendrick Motorsports to have arguably the top two talents in the sport with Larson and Chase Elliott. This could be the best racing duel moving forward since Richard Petty and David Pearson dominated their sports. 
The Bad- The bad is taking the week off this week. 

 Jon Rahm got his revenge at Torrey Pines

    When Jon Rahm closed with back to back birdies at Torrey Pines to become the first Spaniard to win the US Open, it could not have happened to a more deserving guy. After being disqualified with a six shot lead two weeks ago with  a positive result to a Covid test, Rahm sat in the weeds in this tournament. Coming into Sunday with a two under score, he had to leap nearly a dozen competitors to get to four under going into the 17th hole. His back to back birdies on 17 and 18 were a good  omen asLouis Ooshuizen had five holes to play and in the uncertain US Open with playing conditions penal, Rahm just to sit and wait. In the end, he won from the bench and a playoff was not needed. Ooshuizen played well, he just did not get a birdie on 17 or 18 and Rahm won the entire thing. The game of golf is better for it. 

MAC Announces 2020 Football All-MAC and Specialty Awards Buffalo junior running back Jaret Patterson tabbed the winner of the 39th Vern Smith Leadership Award as the top player in the MAC
(Complete list on B1G/MAC Football Pg.)

​Cleveland, Ohio – Today the Mid-American Conference announced the All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award selections for the 2020 football season. All of the awards were voted on by the league's 12 head coaches.
 
Buffalo junior running back Jaret Patterson was tabbed the winner of the 39th Vern Smith Leadership Award as the top player in the MAC and was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Buffalo Head Coach Lance Leipold was selected as the MAC Head Coach of the Year, while Central Michigan running back Lew Nichols III was named MAC Freshman of the Year. Ball State linebacker Brandon Martin and Central Michigan defensive end Troy Hairston IIshared MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. Western Michigan senior wide receiver/kickoff returner D'Wayne "Dee" Eskridge was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Year. 

Patterson is the first player in Buffalo program history to win the prestigious Vern Smith Leadership Award. He is just the second UB player to win MAC Offensive Player of the Year honors, joining former quarterback Tyree Jackson who won the award in 2018.Patterson has assembled a historic season through only five games. He leads the nation in rushing, averaging 203 yards per game and has scored 18 rushing touchdowns, third in the country. With 1,025 yards on the season, the junior running back became just the 12th player in FBS history to rush for 1,000 yards in the first five games of the year.
 
Leipold was named the MAC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. He also won the award in 2018. Leipold has led Buffalo to a 5-0 record and a MAC East Division Championship. The Bulls lead the nation in scoring (51.8 ppg) and rushing yards per game (344.6). He is the first UB head coach to win the honor multiple times. Former head coach Turner Gill won the award in 2007.

Martin, who returned this year after sustaining a season-ending injury in the 2019 opener, ranks fourth nationally with 12.0 tackles per game. The redshirt junior from Indianapolis had 6.5 tackles for loss, including 5.0 in the past three games. Martin is the first Ball State player to win the defensive player of the year honor since Brad Maynard won it as a punter in 1996 and the first traditional defensive player to win the award for BSU since linebacker Greg Garnica did it three straight years from 1987-89.

Hairston leads the MAC in both sacks (5.5) and tackles-for-loss (12). Nationally, he ranks third in tackles-for-loss and 10th in sacks per game. Hairston is the third Chippewa to earn the MAC Defensive Player of the Year Award, joining Dan Bazuin (2005) and Ray Bentley (1982). 
 
Eskridge was one of two players in the league with a kickoff return for a touchdown this season, while his 27.5 yards per kickoff return led the league among players with at least five returns. At receiver, Eskridge led the MAC in receiving yards (784), yards per game (130.7) and receiving touchdowns (eight). It marks the third time in the last five seasons a Bronco has collected Special Teams Player of the Year after Darius Phillips won it in 2016 and '17.

Nichols led the Chippewas with 508 yards rushing and he caught 10 passes for 109 yards and scored five touchdowns. He ranked seventh in the MAC in rushing yards per game (84.7) and was ninth in yards per carry (6.5). Nichols is the sixth Chippewa to earn the MAC Freshman of the Year Award and the first since Antonio Brown in 2007.

TIGER WOODS ANNOUNCES FLINT NATIVE WILLIE MACK III AS RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 CHARLIE SIFFORD MEMORIAL EXEMPTION

LOS ANGELES – Tournament Host Tiger Woods announced Willie Mack III as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption into the 2021 Genesis Invitational field. Awarded since 2009, the exemption represents the advancement of diversity in the game of golf.
 
“Willie learned to golf with his dad just like I did and those are memories that will last forever. I am excited to see Willie make another lasting memory when he tees it up at Riviera,” Woods said. “Willie has endured through difficult times off the course the past few years and I know Charlie would be proud of how he has stayed focused on achieving his dream.”
 
Mack, a native of Flint, MI, played college golf at Bethune-Cookman winning 11 titles as a Wildcat. In 2011, Mack became the first African American to win the Michigan Amateur Championship. Mack currently competes on the Advocates Pro Golf Association (APGA) Tour and Florida Professional Golf Tour, earning Player of the Year honors for both tours in 2019.
 
“I want to thank my father who introduced me to the great game of golf,” Mack said. “My dream since I first picked up a club has been to play on the PGA TOUR. It’s really special that I will play in my first PGA TOUR event because of an exemption named after Charlie Sifford, a person I’ve long admired, and in a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods, who is the reason I got into golf.”
 
The start at Riviera during the 2021 Genesis Invitational will be Mack’s first on the PGA TOUR. Mack has previously played on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Tour.
 
Since 2009, the exemption has been given to a golfer representing a minority background to play in the annual PGA TOUR event at Riviera. In 2017, the exemption was re-named to honor the memory of Charlie Sifford, the first African American player to compete on the PGA TOUR. Previous exemption recipients include Vincent Johnson (2009), Joshua Wooding (2010), Joseph Bramlett (2011 & 2020), Andy Walker (2012), Jeremiah Wooding (2013), Harold Varner III (2014), Carlos Sainz, Jr. (2015), J.J. Spaun (2016), Kevin M. Hall (2017), Cameron Champ (2018) and Tim O’Neal (2019).
 
The 2021 Genesis Invitational will be held February 15-21 and broadcast on GOLF Channel and CBS. To enhance the fan experience at home, the tournament is excited to offer games, activities and more to keep viewers engaged with the tournament while watching. Also the Genesis Invitational is taking its family village virtual in 2021 with digital activities, challenges, education resources and more for kids ages 5-12. These fan enhancement elements will be available on GenesisInvitational.com in the coming weeks. About The Genesis Invitational
One of the most historic and longest-running events on the PGA TOUR, The Genesis Invitational celebrates its 95th playing, February 15-21, 2021, at historic Riviera Country Club. With TGR Live serving as the event management company for The Genesis Invitational, the primary benefiting charity is TGR Foundation, with proceeds from the event supporting the foundation’s education programs in Southern California. The tournament’s title sponsor is Genesis, a global luxury automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of performance, design and innovation. For more information about The Ge
 About TGR Live, A Tiger Woods Venture
For more than 20 years, TGR Live has exclusively organized and managed fundraising events supporting the TGR Foundation. It focuses solely on creating amazing experiences for the foundation’s clients at world-class events. TGR Live provides a variety of services including hospitality management, public relations and marketing, tournament operations, and sponsor sales at PGA TOUR and signature events which benefit the foundation. While many TGR Live events are televised, TGR Live does not provide TV or video production. For more information, visit TGRLive.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TGRLiveEvents.

​Caledonia's Brett White aiming for wire-to-wire win at Michigan Open

​Acme — Brett White is one day from a wire-to-wire win at the Michigan Open.
White, a left-hander from Caledonia in west Michigan, shot a 1-under 71 and was at 9 under for a one-shot lead on The Bear course at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.
White has led after each of the first three rounds.
"I’ve never led a tournament wire-to-wire yet, but I’ll go out tomorrow and do it,” said White, 27.
A shot back was Chad Kurmel, 49, a teaching pro from Forest Akers at Michigan State in East Lansing. He shot a 5-under 67 on Wednesday.
Three back were defending champion Eric Lilleboe (71) of Okemos and 2020 Michigan PGA Professional champion Ben Cook (73) of Wayland. Cook played in the PGA Championship last month.

It’s not the homecoming Erik Jones expected. 
Just days before NASCAR returned to the Wolverine State for this weekend’s races at Michigan Speedway, word leaked on the internet that the 24-year-old’s contract would not be renewed at Joe Gibbs Racing. 
JGR confirmed the story later Thursday night. Christopher Bell, his fellow Toyota development driver, is expected to replace Jones in the No. 20 team in 2021.
“I greatly appreciate the opportunity that JGR provided me with over the last four years and I wish the team nothing but success and good fortune,” Jones said in the team release. “JGR gave me a solid foundation from which to go out and compete at the highest level and I look forward to building on that in the years to come.”
The Byron, Michigan, racer, the first in a long and tremendously successful list of Toyota proteges, executed the perfect audition when he was just 16 by beating Kyle Busch in the 2012 Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway. Soon after, Jones was recruited by Toyota.
Jones’ meteoric rise through the NASCAR ranks included wins in ARCA and then in the Truck Series—in his fifth start. He was both the youngest driver to win his first race and the championship in the Gander RV & Outdoors Trucks Series, at ages 17 and 19, respectively. His truck title came during his first full season on the tour. 
Nine races into his Xfinity Series experience, Jones won from the pole at Texas Motor Speedway in the 2015 spring race. The following week, he was recruited to sub for an ailing Denny Hamlin at in the No. 11 Cup car after Hamlin suffered neck spasms during a lengthy rain delay at Bristol. Two years later, Jones graduated to a second car at Furniture Row Racing. The situation was far from ideal. Still, in a freshman class that included Daniel Suarez, Ty Dillon and Corey LaJoie, Jones won 2017 rookie honors handily.
Once he joined the JGR fold in 2018, Jones scored his first Cup win at the July Daytona race. He doubled his top-five results, finished half of his starts in the top 10 and qualified for the Playoffs. In 2019, Jones won again—this time in the prestigious Southern 500 at Darlington—and earned a one-year extension on his contract, even though Bell waiting in the wings as the next young, hot prospect in the Toyota camp. 
Although Jones started the 2020 season by winning the Busch Clash at Daytona, he’s currently 18th in the standings after five top fives and eight top 10s in 20 starts. Since joining JGR, Jones has been overshadowed by veteran teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. His results were better than those of Daniel Suarez during their two seasons together at JGR. Though Busch has yet to win in 2020, Hamlin has won a fourth of this year’s Cup races. Martin Truex Jr. won at Martinsville in June.
Sure, Jones has endured his share of bad luck. But compared with some of his 20-something peers on the Cup tour, Jones has more top-five and top-10 finishes than Alex Bowman, Matt DiBenedetto, William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon or Bell. 
Certainly, Bell is a once-in-a-generational talent in whom Toyota has invested handsomely. Under the direction of Jason Ratcliff, who also guided Jones earlier in his career, Bell has made gains in the No. 95 Toyota. His true potential won't become evident until he's under JGR’s roof. 
Perennially, there has been a stark contrast between Jones and the other top Gibbs’ drivers in equal equipment. When drivers such as Carl Edwards or Matt Kenseth entered the stable, both were able to hold their own and win immediately.
That’s not to say that Jones won’t flourish in a different environment, as Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick or Kyle Busch did when they left their previous employers for a fresh start. I would bet on it. 
While Bubba Wallace is the frontrunner for the No. 42 Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, and LaJoie appears headed to the No. 37 JTG Daugherty team, and the replacement plans for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports seat have yet to be determined, Jones could enter any of those situations and make a significant difference.

Brad Keselowski presser talking about his new deal and Covid-19 racing MIS Doubleheader

Notes from Presser
     When MIS visits the Irish Hills this weekend, Michigan hosts two of NASCAR’s finest drivers in Erik Jones and Brad Keselowski, albeit with the drivers going in different career directions. For Jones, it’s the end of the road at Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones had great moments with the team, winning multiple times in his DeWalt #20 Toyota. But the Gibbs team had an itch to scratch and for them, they have been developing Christopher Bell, who has been winning consistently in NASCAR’s undercard series. Jones appreciated his time with the team, “I greatly appreciate the opportunity that JGR provided me with over the last four years and I wish the team nothing but success and good fortune,” Jones said in the team release. “JGR gave me a solid foundation from which to go out and compete at the highest level and I look forward to building on that in the years to come.” Jones is rumored to have several suitors for 2021 when his contract is up at the end of the 2020 season.
As for Brad Keselowski, the former NASCAR 2012 champion has won just about everywhere in NASCAR, but MIS, the site of two shortened races this weekend, has eluded him. Keselowski acknowledged in a reporter scrum that he is part of the big three with Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin. “Kevin has done a great job winning and getting points and Denny has also done a great job,” said Keselowski.” Keselowski added that earning points and getting into the championship is one thing, but winning the championship is another.
The Covid-19 reality has been an eye opener in NASCAR with more but shortened races over the course of a week at the track. This affects how teams prepare for the weekend workload. “It put’s an emphasis on having the car right in the first race,” said Keselowski. We have to give the team great feedback from the car. There is a lot of emphasis on giving them (the team) great feedback and debrief the team during and post race.  
      Keselowski believes that NASCAR will change their business model going forward as their has been plenty of experimentation with the schedule, racing double headers and so on and in fact, has already seen far reaching changes. “We have learned from this pandemic we will apply for years to come. I think one of the biggest ones is we used to come to racetracks like Michigan on a Thursday and race until Sunday. That was three-and- a- half-days at the track and I do not see us going back to that model.”
Keselowski said from a race driver perspective that going forward there are a lot more changes going forward from scheduling to the racing itself.
Perhaps NASCAR will apply what worked in the past to bridging to what the consumer wants in the future. One thing is for sure, Keselowski will have an opinion on that. 
​

​Erik Jones has moved over to Richard Petty Racing after winless 2020

Roy J. Akers gets around

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